Martha Barra's guest appearances

Martha Barra

California Wine Country

Wine Women on Radio Misfits

Stu Smith

Jen Walsh

Joel Peterson

Francis Ford Coppola

David Ramey

Bob Cabral

Vanessa Conlin

Cathy Corison

Philippe Langner

Alan Baker

Alexander Valley

Jim Morris

Brian Maloney

Tanya Holland

Melissa Smith

OwlTail

Martha Barra was not destined for the wine business from an early age. (Our show guests come to the wine business from all walks of life.) Martha’s journey into wine started with a walk down the aisle. She married Charlie Barra, a pioneer of organic grape growing in Mendocino County, in 1980. Charlie, on the other hand, was born into a family with deep roots in the wine industry going back to the early 1800s in Italy. Working side by side with Charlie for almost 40 years (who passed a couple of years ago), Martha played a pivotal role in helping build the family wine business into what it is today, with more than 350 acres of certified organic vineyards, two wine brands, and a 2.8 million gallon custom crush facility. Early work experience in the field of law and real estate helped Martha develop a strong business acumen that was critical to the development of the Barra family’s footprint in Mendocino County. A driving force behind the creation of all of the Barra Family wine brands (BARRA of Mendocino, CORO Mendocino and Girasole Vineyards) Martha’s hard work, dedication and keen business sense have helped build global notoriety of their family-owned and farmed wines. But we’re getting ahead of our story, or rather, the BARRA of Mendocino story. Charlie Barra purchased Redwood Valley Vineyards back in 1955. Back then a ton of grapes went for as little as $40. And they went into “vin ordinaire” – the highly generic style wine produced in California at the time. Varietal and vineyard designate wines had yet to exist 60+ years ago. Over time, Charlie added another six varietals to the soils of Redwood Valley Vineyards including Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, Muscat Canelli and Zinfandel (all of which is grown organically). And he never missed a harvest. As the vineyards are situated in the benchlands of the headwaters of the Russian River in Northern California, providing them with hot summer days (averaging 90 degrees in the summer) and cool nights (sometimes dipping 30 degrees lower), the grapes enjoy a generous “hang time.” Martha currently spends most of her time overseeing the vineyard operations, doing local tastings and events, working with the winemakers to set flavor profiles, and managing all of the organic certification processes. Her special interests include cooking and entertaining with emphasis on food and wine pairings, traveling, studying architecture and remodeling houses. She also participates in her community by raising funds for local schools, museums, colleges and other foundations in need of additional resources. She generously shared three beautiful examples from their estate vineyards that the hosts tasted with Martha. First up was the Girasole Vineyards Pinot Blanc. As Martha explained to us, the hallmark of the Girasole brand is the winemaking technique: No new oak. Wines under this label are produced without an oak program in the recipe. Aromas and flavors reflect the components of their terroir with no added elements. This Pinot Blanc was very aromatic, refreshing, with notes of lemon curd and fresh cut melon. It’s perfect for cooling down on a warm, summer evening and pairs well with light salads, goat’s cheese, lighter grilled fish and a number of other culinary options. Having a richer flavor profile than most Pinot Blancs in the hosts’ memories, it was no surprise to learn it had been awarded 90 points and a “Best Buy” designation from Wine Enthusiast’s August 2020 issue and a Gold Medal (91 points) in the 2020 Sunset International Wine Competition, as well as a Best of Class award in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Next we turned to the Girasole Vineyards’ Charlie’s Blend, the first vintage of this blend, in honor of Martha’s late husband. It has alluring aromas of ripe boysenberry, light caramel and roasted pine nuts. On the palate, flavors of raspberry, toasted marshmallow and hints of vanilla tempt the taste buds. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, this wine garnered Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. And in tasting through this well-integrated red blend, pairings with numerous Italian dishes came to mind. Last up was the BARRA signature wine: Their Mendocino Petite Sirah, which Karl Wente and Louis Martini recommended Charlie plant back in the early 60’s. It’s a deep inky color, nearly opaque, promising the dark rich flavors of Petite Sirah: cocoa, tobacco, coffee and black fruits. Long on backbone, tannins, black pepper and loads of structure, this Petite Sirah would undoubtedly age well for decades, if desired. It was awarded 99 points and a Double Gold medal, along with Best of Class at the Harvest Terroir Challenge. BARRA of Mendocino sports a wine club and an amazing tasting room open to the public, sprawling 5,000 square feet with 40 foot ceilings, a circular tasting bar, and an indoor fountain. A sight to be seen! To learn more about this North Coast winery, listen to the show and learn more at: https://www.barraofmendocino.com/

Martha Barra was not destined for the wine business from an early age. (Our show guests come to the wine business from all walks of life.) Martha’s journey into wine started with a walk down the aisle. She married Charlie Barra, a pioneer of organic grape growing in Mendocino County, in 1980. Charlie, on the other hand, was born into a family with deep roots in the wine industry going back to the early 1800s in Italy. Working side by side with Charlie for almost 40 years (who passed a couple of years ago), Martha played a pivotal role in helping build the family wine business into what it is today, with more than 350 acres of certified organic vineyards, two wine brands, and a 2.8 million gallon custom crush facility. Early work experience in the field of law and real estate helped Martha develop a strong business acumen that was critical to the development of the Barra family’s footprint in Mendocino County. A driving force behind the creation of all of the Barra Family wine brands (BARRA of Mendocino, CORO Mendocino and Girasole Vineyards) Martha’s hard work, dedication and keen business sense have helped build global notoriety of their family-owned and farmed wines. But we’re getting ahead of our story, or rather, the <a href="https://www.barraofmendocino.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">BARRA of Mendocino</a> story. Charlie Barra purchased Redwood Valley Vineyards back in 1955. Back then a ton of grapes went for as little as $40. And they went into “vin ordinaire” – the highly generic style wine produced in California at the time. Varietal and vineyard designate wines had yet to exist 60+ years ago. Over time, Charlie added another six varietals to the soils of Redwood Valley Vineyards including Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, Muscat Canelli and Zinfandel (all of which is grown organically). And he never missed a harvest. As the vineyards are situated in the benchlands of the headwaters of the Russian River in Northern California, providing them with hot summer days (averaging 90 degrees in the summer) and cool nights (sometimes dipping 30 degrees lower), the grapes enjoy a generous “hang time.” Martha currently spends most of her time overseeing the vineyard operations, doing local tastings and events, working with the winemakers to set flavor profiles, and managing all of the organic certification processes. Her special interests include cooking and entertaining with emphasis on food and wine pairings, traveling, studying architecture and remodeling houses. She also participates in her community by raising funds for local schools, museums, colleges and other foundations in need of additional resources. She generously shared three beautiful examples from their estate vineyards that the hosts tasted with Martha. First up was the <a href="https://www.barraofmendocino.com/Our-Wines/All-Wines" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Girasole Vineyards Pinot Blanc</a>. As Martha explained to us, the hallmark of the Girasole brand is the winemaking technique: No new oak. Wines under this label are produced without an oak program in the recipe. Aromas and flavors reflect the components of their terroir with no added elements. This Pinot Blanc was very aromatic, refreshing, with notes of lemon curd and fresh cut melon. It’s perfect for cooling down on a warm, summer evening and pairs well with light salads, goat’s cheese, lighter grilled fish and a number of other culinary options. Having a richer flavor profile than most Pinot Blancs in the hosts’ memories, it was no surprise to learn it had been awarded 90 points and a “Best Buy” designation from Wine Enthusiast’s August 2020 issue and a Gold Medal (91 points) in the 2020 Sunset International Wine Competition, as well as a Best of Class award in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Next we turned to the Girasole Vineyards’ Charlie’s Blend, the first vintage of this blend, in honor of Martha’s late husband. It has alluring aromas of ripe boysenberry, light caramel and roasted pine nuts. On the palate, flavors of raspberry, toasted marshmallow and hints of vanilla tempt the taste buds. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, this wine garnered Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. And in tasting through this well-integrated red blend, pairings with numerous Italian dishes came to mind. Last up was the BARRA signature wine: Their Mendocino Petite Sirah, which Karl Wente and Louis Martini recommended Charlie plant back in the early 60’s. It’s a deep inky color, nearly opaque, promising the dark rich flavors of Petite Sirah: cocoa, tobacco, coffee and black fruits. Long on backbone, tannins, black pepper and loads of structure, this Petite Sirah would undoubtedly age well for decades, if desired. It was awarded 99 points and a Double Gold medal, along with Best of Class at the Harvest Terroir Challenge. <a href="https://www.barraofmendocino.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">BARRA of Mendocino</a> sports a wine club and an amazing tasting room open to the public, sprawling 5,000 square feet with 40 foot ceilings, a circular tasting bar, and an indoor fountain. A sight to be seen! To learn more about this North Coast winery, listen to the show and learn more at: <a href="https://www.barraofmendocino.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.barraofmendocino.com/</a>

Wine Women – Martha Barra, BARRA of Mendocino

Martha BarraOur guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger is Martha Barra from Barra Winery of Mendocino. Charlie Barra started the home ranch in 1955. At the time they were growing “grapes that nobody cared about” as Dan Berger says, grapes that went into jug wine. But Charlie had friends in Napa Valley and asked them how to change the quality of his ranch’s output. They began with 150 and have grown to 325 acres. Charlie passed away at 92, a year and a half ago. He was the godfather of north coast grape growing. He was always looking out for the other growers, too.Dan Berger tells about the early history of grape growing in Mendocino County. In the 1950s Charlie Barra was really a pioneer. It was 11 years before Robert Mondavi opened in Napa Valley. During that period, the ranches were growing grapes that were not producing fine wine, but there were varieties that produced large yields of pretty common wine. At the time, 90% of Mendocino County fruit was sent to other counties. Today it’s 75%.They grow 9 different varietals, Barra of Mendocino and Girasole, which means Sunflower in Italian. They are tasting a Chardonnay, from the old Wente clone, they have 15 or 20 acres of it. There is a lot of tropical fruit, pineapple and a tiny bit of banana, rich on the tongue but finishes light. It’s delicious by itself and it has good acidity in the background.Dan Berger says that the Barra wines have become more distinctive in the last few years. The Pinot Blanc is one of their pet projects. It is an under-rated variety. There are only about 10 people making it in California. There are only 438 acres of it in California and they have 14 acres of it, says Martha Barra. Dan Berger tells how the producers today are making low-oak styles. It’s mainly grown in Alsace in France. Dan Berger says it is an example of how different Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc can be from one another. Chardonnay is a blank slate and Pinot Blanc has more fruit components so it can be more distinctive. “It’s smooth as hell,” declares Steve.Martha Barra explains that you press Pinot Blanc off the skins immediately, to preserve its apple, melon and citrus flavors. This wine is a blend of fruit from two of their Pinot Blanc vineyards, one of old vines and one of younger ones. It retails for about $14 or $15. Their wines are available at Bottle Barn and other local retailers.Girasole and Barra of Mendocino wines are available at Bottle Barn. They have won more awards for their Pinot Blanc than for any of their other wines. Dan Berger enjoys judging Pinot Blancs because it’s always a treat. He also says it would go well with spicy Thai food. They are certified organic farmers, and have been for 28 years. Charlie Barra used to joke, “I’ve been farming organic for 50 years, but the first 30 I didn’t know it,” because he was doing it before the official credentials were established. Barra of Mendocino gets about 30% new French oak per year, so that drives their price up, but it’s just a different style. The other label is Girasole (pronounced “gi-ra-SO-le”) which means sunflower in Italian. (Gira means turn, and sole means sun, so it means, “the flower that turns with the sun.”) This wine has a screw cap, which Dan says is the secret to great white wine. They also use sugar cane corks, which are incapable of producing cork taint. They also taste their Zinfandel. Dan says that Mendocino County produces some of California’s finest Zinfandel fruit. This one has beautiful raspberry and tart cherry flavors, and the oak is so much in the background that you don’t smell it at all. Martha Barra says they strive to make wines that are balanced. She learned this from John Parducci, who was the godfather of winemaking in Mendocino County. This is a world-class Zinfandel, says Dan. He adds that this is a very consistent wine, year after year. They blend this wine with some fruit from an almost dry-farmed vineyard at 900 feet above sea level, where they grow Petit Syrah and Zinfandel. The pH is low, which means high acidity. Their 2018 Petit Syrah has received some very high competition scores, even from Dan. He says that California has enough sun to make Petit Syrah this intense.

Martha BarraOur guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger is Martha Barra from <a href="https://www.barraofmendocino.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Barra Winery of Mendocino</a>. Charlie Barra started the home ranch in 1955. At the time they were growing “grapes that nobody cared about” as Dan Berger says, grapes that went into jug wine. But Charlie had friends in Napa Valley and asked them how to change the quality of his ranch’s output. They began with 150 and have grown to 325 acres. Charlie passed away at 92, a year and a half ago. He was the godfather of north coast grape growing. He was always looking out for the other growers, too.Dan Berger tells about the early history of grape growing in Mendocino County. In the 1950s Charlie Barra was really a pioneer. It was 11 years before Robert Mondavi opened in Napa Valley. During that period, the ranches were growing grapes that were not producing fine wine, but there were varieties that produced large yields of pretty common wine. At the time, 90% of Mendocino County fruit was sent to other counties. Today it’s 75%.They grow 9 different varietals, Barra of Mendocino and Girasole, which means Sunflower in Italian. They are tasting a Chardonnay, from the old Wente clone, they have 15 or 20 acres of it. There is a lot of tropical fruit, pineapple and a tiny bit of banana, rich on the tongue but finishes light. It’s delicious by itself and it has good acidity in the background.Dan Berger says that the Barra wines have become more distinctive in the last few years. The Pinot Blanc is one of their pet projects. It is an under-rated variety. There are only about 10 people making it in California. There are only 438 acres of it in California and they have 14 acres of it, says Martha Barra. Dan Berger tells how the producers today are making low-oak styles. It’s mainly grown in Alsace in France. Dan Berger says it is an example of how different Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc can be from one another. Chardonnay is a blank slate and Pinot Blanc has more fruit components so it can be more distinctive. “It’s smooth as hell,” declares Steve.Martha Barra explains that you press Pinot Blanc off the skins immediately, to preserve its apple, melon and citrus flavors. This wine is a blend of fruit from two of their Pinot Blanc vineyards, one of old vines and one of younger ones. It retails for about $14 or $15. Their wines are available at Bottle Barn and other local retailers.<a href="https://bottlebarn.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Girasole and Barra of Mendocino wines are available at Bottle Barn. They have won more awards for their Pinot Blanc than for any of their other wines. Dan Berger enjoys judging Pinot Blancs because it’s always a treat. He also says it would go well with spicy Thai food. They are certified organic farmers, and have been for 28 years. Charlie Barra used to joke, “I’ve been farming organic for 50 years, but the first 30 I didn’t know it,” because he was doing it before the official credentials were established. Barra of Mendocino gets about 30% new French oak per year, so that drives their price up, but it’s just a different style. The other label is Girasole (pronounced “gi-ra-SO-le”) which means sunflower in Italian. (Gira means turn, and sole means sun, so it means, “the flower that turns with the sun.”) This wine has a screw cap, which Dan says is the secret to great white wine. They also use sugar cane corks, which are incapable of producing cork taint. They also taste their Zinfandel. Dan says that Mendocino County produces some of California’s finest Zinfandel fruit. This one has beautiful raspberry and tart cherry flavors, and the oak is so much in the background that you don’t smell it at all. Martha Barra says they strive to make wines that are balanced. She learned this from John Parducci, who was the godfather of winemaking in Mendocino County. This is a world-class Zinfandel, says Dan. He adds that this is a very consistent wine, year after year. They blend this wine with some fruit from an almost dry-farmed vineyard at 900 feet above sea level, where they grow Petit Syrah and Zinfandel. The pH is low, which means high acidity. Their 2018 Petit Syrah has received some very high competition scores, even from Dan. He says that California has enough sun to make Petit Syrah this intense.

Martha Barra from Barra of Mendocino and Girasole