Handley Cellars

Milla Handley is soft spoken, but she has a lot to say. She speaks of the rural character of her home in Mendocino County, of the solitude and the beauty of the place, and of the melding of simple husbandry with elegant skill imparted by the place. Her wines speak the same way. They are evocative of the soil and climate of their origin. Clean, light, crisp, and elegant, they resemble the delicacy of wild fruits.

Handley Cellars is in a place of incredible beauty. Only a dozen miles from the exquisite Mendocino Coast, Handley enjoys the luxury of ideal temperance of climate amid rarely found grandeur. Pristine redwood forest, rolling hills, and abundant orchards are the winery’s neighbors. The place is remote, quiet, and serene, and then there is the wine. Handley produces around 15,000 cases a year, much of that made from estate fruit and the produce of nearby independent growers. Additional wine comes from Handley family property in Dry Creek Valley, at the upper end of adjoining Sonoma County.

Handley Sparkling Wine begs for first mention. Crisp and dry with a depth of aroma (slightly herbal) seldom found in California sparklers. The 1995 Blanc de Blancs, currently available in the Greenville area, is elegant and creamy in the finish. Like most Champagne and Sparkling Wine, this makes a marvelous aperitif. Serve it in place of cocktails to greet your guest in the most festive manner. Alternatively, there is enough to this wine to match a variety of foods, including main courses of fish or fowl. Anderson Valley has become justly famous for its Sparkling wines and Handley has some of the best.

Gewurztraminer from Handley is a thing unto itself. Not nearly so fruity as most California efforts, this wine has a rich oily body and a dry finish without the bitterness of some European Gewurz. The aroma is intense with spice and flowers falling over each other. A mild citrus character makes the wine very adaptable to almost any fare (except, perhaps, robust red meat). Handley Gewurz is a standout with Oriental foods or Polynesian combinations of meat and fruit.

Handley Sauvignon Blanc is made from Dry Creek Valley fruit. Although Dry Creek is one of the warmest coastal appellations, this wine benefits from the vineyard’s proximity to the cooling Russian River basin. While not as edgy and crisp the Anderson Valley wines, the wine still exhibits good acidity. In perfect balance, this Sauvignon Blanc is neither too herbaceous, nor overburdened with grapefruit flavor. At its best with herbed chicken or mild fish dishes, this wine is adaptable to many foods because of its clean, lean finish.

Handley Anderson Valley Chardonnay (there is also a Dry Creek edition) is an eye-opener. With a spicy character seldom found in today’s California Chardonnays, this wine emphasizes the apple-like nature of the grape rather than the layers of butter and oil so common these days. This is a rare Chardonnay that will match roast pork, or of course, the traditional white wine menus of fish or fowl.

There are currently two red "Pinots" from Handley in the Greenville market. "Pinot Mystere", really Pinot Meunier one of the grapes of Champagne, is the fruitier of the two (fruity, not sweet). This wine has plenty to say without being narrow-minded. It has the flavors of berry-fruit and a complex finish with only mild tannins. This wine has proved a great match for venison and game birds.

The Pinot Noir is a classic. Bursting with flavor, it shows lots of spice (not unusual for Anderson Valley) combined with cherry fruit and a hint of oak. Although not a "big wine" by recent California standards (not purple and thick and heavy), this wine can stand up to the heartiest of red meat dishes.

Although no Handley wine could be called abundant, the current supply in Greenville is very good, thanks in part to winemaker Milla Handley’s recent tasting tour. Give the wines a try for something different from California, eloquent but not effusive.

Click here to visit the Handley Cellars web site.

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Originally published in "The Greenville Journal", Mar. 2 - 8, 2001 in "From The Vine" column, author, Richard deBondt.