Jun

30

pine-ridge-winery.jpgWe were thoroughly pleased with our visit to Pine Ridge Winery, in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District, last Sunday — the location was gorgeous, the tasting room’s atmosphere lively, the pourers friendly, and the wine, exquisite.  As we pulled into the winery’s parking area, we were struck by the unique beauty of the setting.  The tasting room, which resembles an Italian villa from the outside with its pastel-colored stucco walls and colorful flowers decorating the entrance, clings to the foot of steep vine-covered hills, each with layers of trees that climb from base to peak and gently follow the hills’ contours.  

The tasting room itself was airy and modern, with large-tiled floors, wood-panelled, curved tasting bars, and pale-yellow and stone walls.  We were presented with an option of two tasting menus, one for $15, which included Rose, Chardonnay, and Malbec, amongst others, and another for $25, which included four different styles of Cabernet Sauvignon.  We recommend shelling out the extra $10 for the latter menu, which would allow you to experience high-end and extraordinarily high-quality Cabernets without having to drop, $55, $80, $85, or $100 respectively. 

We left Pine Ridge Winery and, indeed, the Stag’s Leap District (which is located in a region that we had always associated with tourism) feeling as though we had discovered a gem.  Of course, given the winery’s fame, we are by no means the first to have experienced this feeling!

www.PineRidgeWinery.com
5901 Silverado Trail
Napa, California 94558
(800) 486-0503

Jun

26

coldstream-hills-yarra-valley-pinot-noir-2006.jpgThis is the kind of Pinot Noir that we love, with its gorgeous, light intensity, ruby color that masks a hefty body and bright, earthy aromatics.  The nose reminded us a lot of Beaujolais Nouveaux, with its unmistakable wet forest and berry scents, but that likeness ended when we sipped and felt the impressive, full-sized texture and palate-cleansing burst of acidity in our mouths.

Frankly, we couldn’t decide what we liked most about the Coldstream Hills 2006 Pinot Noir: the low price relative to Pinots of this quality; the attractive appearance in our glasses; the solid structure; the somewhat unexpected origin (from cool, southern Australia); or the screwtop!

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Plumpjack Wines in Noe Valley.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

Jun

25

Below are the events that we recommend for this weekend and beyond.  Click on an event’s title to visit that event’s official web site.

Jun

24

simon-hackett-grenache-2005.jpgOn Sunday, we visited a winery in the Stag’s Leap district of Napa whose Cabernets were out of this world — we’re talking layers and layers of interesting scents, including coffee, tobacco, chocolate, caramel, smoke, and molasses.  The catch was, of course, a hugely steep price tag, which meant that we would return home empty-handed. 

On the bright side of things, later that night we popped open our bottle of Simon Hackett’s 2005 Old Vine Grenache from Australia’s Mclaren Vale region, and, happily, it reminded us that excellent wine need not always cost a Benjamin (or even close to it…)  

At $12, the Simon Hackett is a tip top value – we found aromas of coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, and dark cherry, and in the mouth, the coffee and cherry paved the way for a slightly tingly, cinnamon-and-spice finish.  As for texture, it was light (but not too much so) on tannin and acid, which translated to a slightly silky, but soothing, mouthfeel not unlike that of last week’s Weekend Wine.

Add to the above a screw top and the exotic appeal of a Grenache from Down Under, and we were ready to start buying this stuff in bulk.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Mill Valley Market.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

Jun

23

taylors-refresher.jpgAs we learned this afternoon, Napa wineries are technically prohibited from allowing the general public to picnic on their grounds.  We say technically, because at one of the big-name wineries we visited today — which featured a seemingly ideal picnic table set just off the steps leading up to the tasting room – our pourer revealed that he does not strictly enforce the rule. 

And we say general public, because at the other “big-name” Napa winery we visited, a group of people was enjoying what seemed to be a lovely Sunday afternoon picnic in an even lovelier setting, but as we passed by, we noticed the sign on the gate closing off the joys of this beauty to “wine club members only”!

If you find yourself in Napa and craving an al fresco dining experience, and the wineries you have chosen to visit for the day strictly abide by the no-picnicking rule, another wonderful option is Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, a burger joint dating back to 1949, on Main Street in St. Helena.

The menu features 10 types of burger (including a delicious ahi burger and a tasty veggie one), hot dogs and corn dogs, seafood and chicken options, salads, fries (regular and garlic… mmm), onion rings, and decadent milkshakes.   The wine list — surprisingly good for an outdoor “diner,” but not too surprising given the location — includes selections from wineries such as Turley, Buehler, and Frog’s Leap (none of which are marked up).  Beer is also served, but hey, when in Napa…

Ordering takes place at the window in front, and then names are called over a speaker once the food is ready, all adding to the fun and child-friendly atmosphere.  But perhaps the best part of all is the 10 or so picnic benches, with their red stools and cream-colored umbrellas, which are located on the grassy lawn behind the kitchen.

It’s a perfect place to unwind outside after a day of tasting, or even in between tastings.  And if you do have a child, high-chairs are available, and the lawn is an ideal spot (for parents!) to encourage children to let out a little excess energy before heading back into the car. 

Jun

19

icardi-barbera-2005.jpgThis week’s Weekend Wine comes from Barbera d’Asti, which is located in the northwestern corner of Italy in Piedmont. 

In our glasses, we found in the Icardi Barbera d’Asti Tabaren 2005 a mixture of dark cherry and chocolate aromas and a beautiful ruby color.  Though the wine was very light on acidity, it had just enough tannin to sustain good structure. 

We liked, in particular, the mellowed and filling mouthfeel, which was a nice change from the more gripping reds we’ve been drinking recently.    

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Plumpjack Wines in Noe Valley.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

Jun

18

Below are the events that we recommend for this weekend and beyond.  Click on an event’s title for more information.

Jun

17

les-galets-rouges.jpgWe’re huge fans of Syrah these days.  Recently, we drank a privately produced bottle of an Israeli version, and it was off-the-charts delicious.  That prompted us to seek out more of the varietal for today’s posting, this time from France. 

Why France, you ask? Well, we’ve found that Syrah from warmer climates in the $10-$20 price range have a tendency to be a bit too heavy-bodied for our palates, and though there must be plenty of exceptions, we felt that the safe bet for today was on a Rhone red.   

Fortunately, we weren’t disappointed with our choice, the Chateau Mourgues du Gres Les Galets Rouges 2006, which hails from the Costières de Nîmes AOC of the Rhone Valley (the link is to Wikipedia).  The Chateau Mourgues du Gres – a blend predominantly of Syrah with Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Carignan – shares one important quality with the last French Syrah that we reviewed: meatiness.  We loved that aspect of the Domaine de la Bastide, and we felt no differently about the Chateau Mourgues du Gres. 

Curiously, the meat that we found was steak, and we also picked up dark cherry and spice in the nose and mouth.  The wine’s texture was only slightly tannic and had relatively soft acidity.

Granted, this was notin the league of the Israeli Syrah that originally had us craving another Syrah.  Pay more money, and ye shall surely find better.  But for the price, it’s great knowing that a wine like the Chateau Mourgues du Gres, with its unique character, exists.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Plumpjack Wines in Noe Valley.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

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