The Art of Wine at C.G. DiArie in Amador County

Gregarious Chaim Gur-Arieh enjoys telling about his food science career that includes Cap’n Crunch cereal.  Power Bars.  Pudding Cups.  Space meals for astronauts.  And more.   But as a winemaker at C.G. DiArie since 2000, he is happiest talking about wine.  Co-owner Elisheva Gur-Arieh often joins him as they introduce wine lovers to their wines.

Welcome to the winery!

Chaim’s winemaking style features a fusion between New World and Old World wines.  New World wines he believes are quite fruit-forward and have distinct varietal characteristic.  Old World wines express their terroir strongly.  New World wines, he says, are very drinkable when they are young.  Old World wines are more elegant, not highly alcoholic, and oak plays an important role but is very much in the background.

Winemaking represents everything Chaim loves best, and his wines show that love.  “I find winemaking very challenging.  I can use my intuition and creativity, and I can showcase my knowledge and my hands-on food science know-how,”  explains Chaim.

Chaim expresses his wine creativity in a state-of-the-art 12,000 square foot winemaking facility.  It was built to use the natural slope of the terrain to facilitate gravity feed as part of the winemaking process.  The facility also has sufficient room for two art galleries that display the Gur-Arieh’s collection of California art.  Elisheva herself is a nationally exhibiting artist.  The tasting room at the winery is filled with wonderful art, and sculptures ornament the patio where wine lovers can sit to look out over the vineyards.

C. G. di Arie Winery and Tasting Room
5200 Di Arie Road
Mount Aukum, CA 95656
    530-620-6500
 

Tasting Room in Amador County
19919 Shenandoah School Road
Plymouth, CA 95669
    209-245-4700

www.cgdiarie.com

The winery makes between 10,000-15,000 cases of wine yearly.  Varieties featured include Zinfandel, Barbera, Primitivo, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Nacional, Grenache, Petit Verdot.

(You can read more about this winery and meet the family at a special meal that photographer Johan Martin photographed for my forthcoming book...sign up to get updates/alert on publication date ... www.wineriesofthesierrafoothills.com)