SPECIAL: Napa Spring Report
If there is a paradise on earth, for me this is Napa Valley. And it isn’t just about the wine, or about the vineyards. But it doesn’t take long to see why this narrow valley makes some of the world’s very best wines. The weather is perfect. The hot air balloons rising above the valley floor early on a spring morning bear testimony to these ideal conditions.
I was lucky enough on one of these mornings, after an energizing hour of tennis, to drive the winding trail up Spring Mountain and visit with Barbara Richards. She is one half of the husband and wife team at Paloma. They just happen to make the merlot which won last year’s prestigious “Wine of the Year” award from Wine Spectator.
We sat on Barbara’s porch overlooking all of Napa Valley—including the morning fog, and the multi-colored hot air balloons, rising above the valley floor. I knew this was as good as it gets. We spoke of the midwest, as they had moved to Napa from Calgary, and gardening, and, of course, about their vineyard and their wine. Barbara said that her grapevines are like children, that each one has its own name, and I knew in a moment why the single wine they produce won the award it did.
“Love in a bottle” is how I would describe quite a few of the many cabernets and merlots and blends that I tried during my week in Napa Valley. To produce these wines that cost anywhere from $30 to $130 takes an inordinate amount of love, or at least passion. This is a whole different world of wine than that of your everyday $10 bottle.
Not that the everyday wines are bad; they are merely different. There is a relatively small group of individuals who are devoted to taking this ideal growing region, using the best that modern science has to offer, and putting their heart and soul into producing deep and beautiful wines. And it is not, for most, about money or fame…it is about the wine.
After my visit at Paloma, I descended Spring Mountain part of the way for a second meeting with the folks of Domaine Charbay. My first visit with Marko and his mother, Susan, at JV Wines and Spirits in Napa, turned my head around. Here was a whole new cutting edge in the wine industry. At Domaine Charbay, Marko and his father, Miles, are continuing a lineage (Marko is the 13th generation) of distilling and winemaking. They are making brandies from a variety of red grapes, and then using these brandies to make outstanding ports. I had never tasted a great Port before. It was sublime! And then they make this product, Charbay, which is Chardonnay fortified with brandy. Amazing!
This same magical day ended with my visit with Viader up high on the other side of the valley, now watching the sun fading in the west. And, as a lucky coincidence would have it, Viader won the same award, “Wine of the Year” (well actually second), the year before Paloma. Amazing place; amazing wine.
I can’t recommend highly enough visiting Napa Valley, or any of the wine regions in northern California, especially in the spring. This is a time when the winemakers have had their winter rest, the vines are just beginning to leaf out, and everything is fresh and new again. Many think that to visit during the harvest is the best time, but, trust me, it is not. Remember that, as glamorous as the wine industry may appear, winemaking begins as farming, and there is always a tension, a sense of urgency and even worry, at harvest time.
In the spring wineries are very welcoming and, in my opinion, the vineyards are especially lovely. Any gardener knows the magic of springtime. Another insider tip: visit the hillside appellations like Spring Mountain, Stag’s Leap District, Howell Mountain, etc. The views are great, the crowds are less, and, I think, the wines are the best. As Rudy of Von Strasser on Diamond Mountain relates a traditional European position: “eat from the valley floor and drink from the hillsides”.
Some of my top recommendations for visits and for their wines:
Spring Mountain: Pride, Guilliams, Frias, & Keenan (and, of course, Paloma)
Howell Mountain: Dunn, Viader, Atalon, Chateau Woltner, & Howell Mt.
Stag’s Leap District: Stag’s Leap, Shafer, Adam’s Ridge, & Isley
Diamond Mountain: Von Strasser, Chateau Felice, & Atalon (they blend)
On the valley floor I would surely recommend a stop at Cardinale, for they represent not only the signature wine Cardinale, but also Atalon and Lokoya. For the wine and the property I would recommend a visit to Quintessa. And also you might consider Far Niente, who just recently opened their facility up to the public. But be forewarned that at Far Niente you must endure an hour-long tour before you get to try any wines. I had to peel off at the classic car display, as I could only take so much ostentation.
And, of course my list of recommended visits would not be complete without a mention of Chateau Montelena. The history of the place is very interesting, and the wines are rather splendid. Not recommended: Shafer. I was very put off by their whole attitude, and their wines are overrated. And my week ended on a very high note, visiting the very unpretentious “winery” at Delectus. Gerhard, the winemaker, is a great guy, very bright, and he makes fabulous wines. And all this out of a commercial warehouse!
My greatest inside tip I can offer with this report has to do with buying wine. As I assembled my small collection to show at my upcoming “Napa Spring” party (more to follow), I was warned that guests might be frustrated if they try all these great wines which are not available for purchase in Minnesota. Old school thinking here, as you can buy any wine from Napa Valley that you want simply by picking up the telephone. It is not legal in Minnesota to buy wine via the internet, but you can place orders, whether directly with a winery, or with a Napa retailer, on the telephone.
And what you spend for shipping you save by not paying any sales tax. Now Minnesota liquor control laws do limit you to buying two cases per person per year, but this still allows you to buy some very special wine. Three Napa brokers that I recommend are:
Back Room Wines; Dan Dawson proprietor; 887ttoll free77.322.257, www.backroomwines.com toll free: 877-322-2576
Bounty Hunter; Tom Nicholas www.bountyhunterwine.com 707-255-0622; JV Wine & Spirits; Jon Sevigny or Meryll Cawn; www.jvwineandspirits.com 877-4MY-Wine
Napa Spring Wine Fling
If you would like the opportunity to try over 40 wines hand selected by myself, with the assistance of the experts above, please join me at this gala affair.
April 16th, 7-10pm, Doubletree Park Place Hotel, St. Louis Park
See the ad in this month’s issue of The Rake (page 24). There will be music and food and magic and a special presentation of photos from my trip. For the full list of wines being offered, e-mail me through my website:
www.louiethewineguy.com
To reserve your ticket(s), call 763-476-0699.
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