Jul

7

tasting-room.jpgWe chose to visit Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, in Napa Valley’s picturesque and low-key Stags Leap District, primarily due to the winery’s historic role in the famous Paris tasting of 1976.  We had expected throngs of tourists and tour buses, given the winery’s significance in California wine history.  Fortunatey for us, since we’re really not much for big crowds, our preconceived notions about the winery proved wrong: even upon arriving, we found ourselves admiring its seeming peacefulness and serene setting.  We noticed, for example, that lush vegetation shielded the parking lot from traffic on the main road, and up the shady hill toward the winery’s main buildings, we caught a glimpse of a couple of cozy teak benches surrounded by shady trees.  We were immediately impressed. 

bench-shaded-by-trees.jpgAs we made our way into the slightly dark – but charming – wooden tasting room, we had no trouble getting through to a staff member with wine ready to pour.  Although I still am curious to know what a glass of the $175 Cab would have tasted like, we opted for the cheaper of the two tasting menus ($15 vs. $40), which included a few whites, a Merlot, and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  While we did not end up purchasing a bottle of anything, we liked (surprise, surprise) the Cab the best.

We were delighted that our visit to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was gratifying on more than just a historical level.       

www.Cask23.com
5766 Silverado Trail
Napa, California 94558
(707) 944-2020

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

Mar

24

paristastingwinner.jpg

Since we had the fortune of spending a decadent night at Calistoga Ranch (as we described two weeks ago), we decided to combine the trip with a visit to nearby Chateau Montelena.  We had recently finished reading Judgment of Paris by George M. Taber, the only reporter to have witnessed the 1976 blind tasting contest that transformed the industry world-wide, and we were eager to pay homage to the winery that produced the winning Chardonnay for this very contest. 

Mistakenly wandering past the winery’s entrance, we found ourselves facing a large gothic-like building, which we later realized was the back of the winery.  Just a little farther down the path we took a few minutes to stroll onto the colorful (but a little kitschy for our tastes) islands built into the Asian-inspired Jade Lake.

We finally managed to locate the tasting room — it’s actually not difficult to find — and squeezed ourselves in at the very end of the tasting bar.   

We enjoyed each of the wines we tasted, and most of all the grande finale $125 2004 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.   While we were not inspired to purchase any bottles on the spot, we decided to purchase a future case of the 2007 Estate Cab (the year that our son was born), which will be offered to the public this November.

One postscript: as we were leaving, we asked our pourer, somewhat sarcastically, whether he had ever tasted the 1973 Chardonnay that took first prize in the famous Paris tasting.  He answered, “Yes, in fact last year, and it was perfect.”  A Chardonnay aging for 34 years… wow!  That statement, coupled with the shrine in the back to the very same bottle, certainly made our pilgrimage to Montelena rewarding.

www.ChateauMontelena.com
1429 Tubbs Lane
Calistoga, California 94515
(707) 942-5105

Mar

17

We had just about accepted that we weren’t going to make it in time for our 11:30 a.m. tasting appointment last Sunday at Barnett.  We had rushed out of the house in a frenzy, and according to our GPS, at 10:15 a.m., had an hour-and-a-half’s drive ahead of us.   Luckily for us, though, we managed to pick up a bit of time along the way.  

barnettvineyardscellar.jpgWe didn’t know quite what to expect of this Napa Valley winery, with a tasting fee of $25 and the cost of bottles ranging between $42 and $125.  Thus far, the wineries that have attracted us have been those off-the-beaten-path in the less “touristy” wine regions, with free or $5 tastings.  As we made our way up Spring Mountain, though, we were surprised by the feelings of remoteness and untouched beauty.  After passing by signs for Paloma and Pride (two other big named and pricey wineries), we pulled into Barnett, at 11:31 a.m.  

The first thing that caught our attention was a small white tourist bus and a black stretch limousine in the parking lot.  Very typical Napa, we thought.  We made our way to the group of people standing on a deck, perched near the tasting room (a cellar lined with barrels) and overlooking the gorgeous valley, but were immediately stopped by Ted, who said that he would be overseeing our private tasting. 

We soon realized that Barnett did not in fact live up to our vision of the stereotypical Napa winery; and we were so very pleased.  Ted mentioned that the group tasting was a rarity, and that tour buses were an unusual sight at the winery (though honestly, we were not bothered in the slightest; the deck was far away enough from our tasting that we could barely hear a sound).  Barnett’s atmosphere was laid back and friendly, with Riley (a lovable German Shepard) basking in the sun at the entrance of the tasting room, much to our son’s delight; the seven wines that we tasted were all excellent; and the views of the expansive valley just beyond the tasting room brought a sense of peacefulness to our already delightful tasting experience. 

www.BarnettVineyards.com
4070 Spring Mountain Road
St. Helena, California
(707) 963-7075
*Tasting by appointment only; $25 tasting fee.

Feb

4

Happy belated Super Bowl, everyone. 

Wow, what a game, huh?  Congrats to the Giants fans out there on a well-deserved win.  As a tortured Eagles fan, I’ve spent a large chunk of my life disliking your franchise, but I am going to let bygones be bygones for just a few days in honor of your team’s achievement.

… But then I’m going to need a drink.  A big one.  And for those of you that are also looking for a place to drown your sorrows — whether you’re a Patriots fan, an Eagles fan or just a fan of another team that let you down – or even celebrate a victory, we’ve picked out a special winery for today.

dog-on-barrel.jpgVincent Arroyo is a tiny winery with an annual case production of just over 8,000 a year.  In fact, it’s so small that while some of the wines they make are available for purchase, much of their business is in selling Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah futures, meaning that you buy a case while the wine is still aging in the barrel.  As you can imagine, you literally won’t find anything they sell for sale anywhere else.   

What makes Vincent Arroyo so special as wineries go is that it’s located in Napa Valley, but so far north that the area is relatively tourist-free.  That adds up to an exceptional environment for growing Bordeaux grapes and no crowds. 

The winery itself is nestled in a picturesque area surrounded by small hills, and the tasting room doubles as barrel storage.  There are picnic tables and even a friendly, happy winery dog. 

On our visit, we were fortunate enough to meet Vincent himself, who was pouring out a bottle from his personal library — a Cab from the 1991 vintage.  While my wife, my mom and I were glowing from our luck in tasting a 17 year-old wine, my father, who doesn’t drink wine, sat on a bench outside and seemed to be soaking in the calm and beauty of the environment surrounding him.   

While I hate to let out the secret of such a good thing, it’s difficult to discuss wineries and not recommend this one for both wine enthusiasts and mourning football fans alike.

www.VincentArroyo.com
2361 Greenwood Avenue
Calistoga, California 94515
(707) 942-6995
*Tastings by appointment; no tasting fee.

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