It's finally here! Springtime in Napa. The mustard is in in full bloom and the weather is getting better and better. I gave myself some time off the other day to take a trip up valley and do a bit of "research". I visited Cosentino, Cakebread and Hall wineries.
At Cosentino, Jeff poured some fantastic red "Meritage" blends (rhymes with "heritage" people) a fantastic Oakville Cabernet, and finished off with some super fruity and full Zinfandels from Lodi and Mendocino.
Cakebread is a very friendly place with a nice tour and super hosts. Being partial to the reds I enjoyed the "Red Room" mostly, but the tour is also well worth it. A real Napa experience!
I love Hall wines! The entire selection of the Hall Napa Valley Collection was excellent. I especially liked the Katheryn Hall Cab. The service was great (of course it was mid-week and I was the only person there) and the tasting room is really cool.
I intend to do much more "research" in the coming months. I hope to see everyone enjoying the Spring and Summer in Napa.
I love this industry!
Showing posts with label Napa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Napa. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 6, 2009
I Take The Leap
So, I've been around. I'm by no means a neophyte to thrill-seeking adventures. I used to promise myself I'd do at least one "crazy" thing a year. One year I did a two week solo camping trip in Glacier National Park. Another year I signed up for a sailing race from San Francisco to Hawaii. Both these experiences were daunting and at least one time each I felt my life was in serious jeopardy.
Nothing, though, could prepare me for the sheer terror of going to my first party in Napa where I had to bring a bottle of wine.
I knew there would be people there who had lived in Napa for years and there would be at least one or two "industry insiders". What to do? I didn't want to look like a fool or a "newbie" and I was attending the party with my (then) brand new girlfriend who was also a Napan (is it Napan?). If I showed up with an inferior bottle I'd be scoffed at, ostracized. My girlfriend would be embarrassed and would probably give me that dreaded doorstep line, "I'm really tired. I think I'm just going to go to bed."
This was not going to happen to me!
So, what does one do when he or she has never really thought about buying a "good" bottle of wine? Simple. Go to the grocery store, find the wine section, and look up.
Don't look down! That's where the cheap bottles are. And when you've got nothing to go on the best strategy is to let the distributors do the choosing for you. You see, the distributors and stores always put the more expensive wines on the top shelf. The mid-priced wines will be staring you in the face and the cheap bottles, well, they're "down there".
Once you've located the expensive bottles (you ARE in Napa don't forget) how do you choose a good one? I know I'm going to get flak for this, but here it is.
You look for the coolest label.
What? the label? C'mon. I can hear you say it. But it's true. The label on a bottle of wine will tell you all you need to know. A serious wine will have a sophisticated label. The letters will be elegant and loopy, like they were lifted straight off the Magna Carta. Other quality ques they will have are the names of varietal (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir) , the region it where it was made, and maybe even the appellation.
An appellation is the very specific region where the grapes were grown. In Napa we have several appellations including Stag's Leap, Carneros, and Atlas Peak. If you choose a bottle with an appellation, your probably going to get it right. Be sure to discuss the appellation with your friends! Ask them what it is they like/dislike about this particular appellation and why. At least you won't be seen as a total newbie! You'll be an interested newbie. Not as bad, for sure.
So anyway, I chose a bottle from the second from the top shelf (hey, I'm not Donald Trump!) and I made sure it had at least a region and a varietal listing. I went to the party with my girlfriend and my purchase in hand. I must have done well too. We've been married for almost two years.
Nothing, though, could prepare me for the sheer terror of going to my first party in Napa where I had to bring a bottle of wine.
I knew there would be people there who had lived in Napa for years and there would be at least one or two "industry insiders". What to do? I didn't want to look like a fool or a "newbie" and I was attending the party with my (then) brand new girlfriend who was also a Napan (is it Napan?). If I showed up with an inferior bottle I'd be scoffed at, ostracized. My girlfriend would be embarrassed and would probably give me that dreaded doorstep line, "I'm really tired. I think I'm just going to go to bed."
This was not going to happen to me!
So, what does one do when he or she has never really thought about buying a "good" bottle of wine? Simple. Go to the grocery store, find the wine section, and look up.
Don't look down! That's where the cheap bottles are. And when you've got nothing to go on the best strategy is to let the distributors do the choosing for you. You see, the distributors and stores always put the more expensive wines on the top shelf. The mid-priced wines will be staring you in the face and the cheap bottles, well, they're "down there".
Once you've located the expensive bottles (you ARE in Napa don't forget) how do you choose a good one? I know I'm going to get flak for this, but here it is.
You look for the coolest label.
What? the label? C'mon. I can hear you say it. But it's true. The label on a bottle of wine will tell you all you need to know. A serious wine will have a sophisticated label. The letters will be elegant and loopy, like they were lifted straight off the Magna Carta. Other quality ques they will have are the names of varietal (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir) , the region it where it was made, and maybe even the appellation.
An appellation is the very specific region where the grapes were grown. In Napa we have several appellations including Stag's Leap, Carneros, and Atlas Peak. If you choose a bottle with an appellation, your probably going to get it right. Be sure to discuss the appellation with your friends! Ask them what it is they like/dislike about this particular appellation and why. At least you won't be seen as a total newbie! You'll be an interested newbie. Not as bad, for sure.
So anyway, I chose a bottle from the second from the top shelf (hey, I'm not Donald Trump!) and I made sure it had at least a region and a varietal listing. I went to the party with my girlfriend and my purchase in hand. I must have done well too. We've been married for almost two years.
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