Witching Stick: for the serious wine geek
SF Chronicle Jul 9, 2018
By Esther Mobley
Witching Stick is quintessential Anderson Valley: small, unassuming, slightly disheveled, but with disarmingly good wines. The little operation belongs to Van Williamson, a veteran winemaker who worked for many years at Edmeades winery, just across the street, now owned by Jackson Family Wines. Williamson is a talented winemaker, and although he specializes in Pinot Noir, he does beautiful things with Zinfandel, Syrah and Chardonnay too.
Read the Article
Wedged between the post office and Lemon’s Market, Witching Stick’s tasting room is fairly bare-bones. Don’t expect vineyard-view patios or a dish of truffle-scented almonds. Rather, this is a place to get serious about wine with the person who made it. When you visit, you’ll likely be hosted by Williamson himself. If his dogs seem unfriendly at first, but don’t panic: They typically calm down after a minute or two.
WHAT TO TRY: Williamson’s single-vineyard Pinots (all $48) represent a formidable set of Mendocino County sites: Cerise, Perli, Gianoli and — a personal favorite — Wiley, which produces a wine exploding with bright red fruit overlaid with delicate floral tones.