IT'S TIME FOR SONOMA COUNTY'S OTHER BEVERAGE-RELATED HARVEST: HOPS

Published on August 30, 2006

© 2006- The Press Democrat

BYLINE: Peg Melnik PAGE: D8

COLUMN: Peg Melnik

In all of Wine Country, there remains just one commercial hopyard, an anomaly in
this region where grapevines reign.

With harvest upon us, I decided to visit this rare hopyard on the outskirts of
northwest Santa Rosa to get a glimpse of what was, up until the 1940s, a
thriving regional industry. I wanted to get a close look at hops, the cone-like
spikes on twining vines used in brewing beer.

Fresh hops have a devout following among discerning brewmasters. Whether fresh
hops are added to the boil during fermentation or to the aging tank afterward,
they add a unique flavor profile, one that includes melon, lemon, mint and
grass.

``You can't capture these flavors any way, shape or form unless you use fresh
hops,'' said Vinnie Cilurzo, co-owner and brewmaster of Russian River Brewing
Company in Santa Rosa. ``The best analogy is the comparison of cooking with
fresh basil versus cooking with dried basil. Both taste great, but you have a
different flavor profile with fresh hops. ...''

Cilurzo has a partnership with Brian Hunt, owner and brewmaster of Santa Rosa's
Moonlight Brewing Co., so they can each make seasonal brews with the fresh hops
grown on the quarter-acre hopyard. Hunt owns the property, while Cilurzo brought
the 250 hop vines to the deal, transplanting them on Hunt's soil in 2002.

In the coming weeks keep an eye out for Russian River Brewing's ``Hoptime
Harvest Ale,'' and Moonlight's ``Homegrown,'' both made with fresh hops. These
ales are harvest treats like France's famed but ephemeral beaujolais nouveau,
the red wine that debuts in November and is in short supply.

Tasting these ales is a great way to celebrate the season. We should appreciate
the boutique brewmasters living among us in Wine Country, particularly the
passionate ones who defy reason (and their pocketbook) to grow their own hops.

Most breweries buy dried hops rather than farming them because it's next to
impossible for small operations to make a profit, Hunt said. ``You need to have
a couple hundred acres to farm to make a profit because the harvest equipment is
so expensive,'' he said. Another reason for the demise of hops in Wine Country
is that grapevines and real estate are more profitable than hopyards here, Hunt
said.

``Growing hops is not cost-effective, unless you consider how special what you
produce is,'' Hunt said. He pointed out that pinot producers often just break
even but don't lose sleep over it because they're passionate about their
creation.

Neither Hunt nor Cilurzo ever plans give up their hopyard. In fact Cilurzo wants
to expand. ``We hope to find property and plant more hops,'' he said.

The brewmasters love the growing season of hops, from when they awaken in May as
shoots the size of a bean sprout, to when the 10-foot vines, robust climbers on
trellises, ripen in August.

Harvest, of course, is the highpoint and it began Monday. Cilurzo and Hunt
rounded up family and friends with talk of pizza, beer and camaraderie. Once
they cut down the vines, they pooled them on a tarp and began a 5-hour session
of hand-picking. They'll also pick at least one other day in the future to
harvest the vines that weren't quite ripe.

``Truthfully, you don't make any money when you think of the cost of growing
hops,'' Cilurzo said, ``but it's a labor of love.''

Wine picks

This week's wine picks include (prices may vary):

Rivola, 2003 Sardon de Duero, Spain, $14. Aromas and flavors of cherry, rhubarb
and spices. Light-bodied. A good quaffer.

Rapid Red, 2004 California, $15. Great with food because it's a bit rustic.
Notes of black cherry, caramel and spice.

Bogle's Phantom, 2003 California, $17. A great pizza and pasta wine. Aromas and
flavors of black cherry, roasted herbs and spice. Chewy tannins.