Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery: Cynthiana

This week we stayed in the Midwest and opened a bottle of Cynthiana from Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery. Located in eastern Kansas - not far from Kansas City - father and daughter duo, Les & Michelle Meyer, produce about a dozen varieties of wine from indigenous and hybrid grapes. And these grapes are quite unique: St. Vincent, Melody, Aurore as well as Vignoles, Chardonel, Seyval, Foch, Leon Millet, Chambourcin, and Cynthiana (Norton). The Cynthiana has been quite successful for the Meyer's; winning several double gold medals over the years plus the 2004 Jefferson Cup - which honors the best of the best among US wineries from all of America’s wine regions.

We tasted the release following the Jefferson Cup winner and quite frankly, were not really impressed. Even though the wine was aged 12-16 months in oak, the wine was still extremely young and acidic. And only a slight grape flavor. We've stored several purchased bottles in our cellar and after three years in the bottle, we retested the wine. What a difference. The wine has transformed into a good, full bodied wine. It is a little less spicy than the Mount Pleasant from last week, but contains the same rich cherry flavor. This spicy characteristic may be a Midwestern trait, because we have not tasted it with Eastern produced Norton wines. And there were just a few traces of the standard grapey Norton flavor. Once again, the wine could easily pass for a viniferia based wine. Now, if we only had an aged bottle of the Jefferson Cup winner; but this is defiantly one proof that Norton\Cynthiana wines need to age a few years in the bottle.

Mount Pleasant Winery - 2003 Norton

This past week we opened another bottle from our Norton collection, a 2003 from Mount Pleasant Winery. We had purchased this wine after it had won the 2005 Missouri Governor's Cup - at a premium of course. Mount Pleasant Winery is one of Missouri's oldest wineries, first established in 1959. It later became a casualty of Prohibition, but was re-opened almost 50 years ago by the Dressel family. And today, the Norton grape is as great a part of the enterprise as it was a century ago.

Their 2003 Norton is a dry, full bodied wine and surprisingly spicy - more like a Syrah than a Norton. Initially there was also only a slight grapey flavor and the spicy finish was dominant. However, as the wine was left to breathe, the spiciness subsided in favor of the grape flavor. We discovered this after opening the bottle pairing with a bowl of chili. Initially the spiciness from each offering contradicted each other and we set the glasses to the side. After dinner, we tried the wine again and found that "decanting" mellowed the wine where it was much more complementary to spicy foods. The wine worked in both scenerios; if you would like a Syrah styled wine - drink this Norton immediately. If you are looking for a more traditional Norton - full bodied wine - let the wine decant.

2nd Annual Spirits of Mexico Tasting Competition

This week The Polished Palate announced the results of the 2nd Annual Spirits of Mexico Tasting Competition which was held in San Diego from September 11 & 12. 70 spirits were blind tasted by a panel of judges with a rating system totaling a maximum possible score of 100 points. Only one brand constantly scored over 90 points by each judge: the El Perdido Reserva Extra Anejo, which received the Best of Show award.

From the press release: "In a field of 21 Blancos, Best of Category awards were given to (Tie) Tequilas Clase Azul Platino & Don Ramon Platinum. Out of 19 Reposados, Tequila Cristeros took home the Best of Category. Tequila Gran Centenario won Best of Category for the Anejos out of 18 entries. Of 5 Extra Anejos, El Perdido took home the Best of Category Award. Casa 1921 Cream won Best of Category for Flavors & Creams."

The Gold Medal awards are listed below:

Tequila Blanco: Clase Azul Plata, Corrido Blanco, Corzo Silver, Don Ramon Platinum, Don Tepo Blanco, El Perdido Blanco, Milagro Silver, Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver, Oro Azul Blanco, QV Blanco, Senor Frog’s Plata & Suavemente Blanco.

Tequila Reposado: Cazadores, Cristeros, El Perdido, Gran Centenario, Herradura, Oro Azul, QV, Senor Frog’s & Suavemente

Tequila Anejo: 374, Chinaco, Don Eduardo, Don Ramon, Don Tepo, Gran Centenario, Milagro Select Barrel Reserve, QV & Suavemente

Tequila Extra Anejo: Chinaco Negro, Corrido, El Perdido Reserva, Herradura Selección Suprema, Suavemente

Tequila Flavors & Creams: Casa 1921 Cream, Tanteo Chocoloate, Tanteo Jalapeno & Tanteo Tropical

Mezcal Extra Anejo: Beneva Reserva Especial, Scorpion Reserva 5 Year Old, Scorpion Gran Reserva 7 Year Old

Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery

We have a goal of visiting the several Virginia meaderies so we traveled to Nellysford in order to visit Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery - home of dozens of excellent honey and fruit wines. And we mean dozens - and there selection continues to expand as the proprietors craft new and interesting blends. The winery started a decade ago when Marlyn and Sue Allen became one of the first Virginia wineries to produce fruit wines from their local "pick your own" orchard and fields. The family's philosophy should be mandatory reading for all wineries: use your land to grow produce (grapes or fruit) that are best suited for your environment. In addition to the fruit, the family also had an apiary - hence the introduction of mead. As the three Allen sisters took over operations, they had more production hours to experiment with the mead and start producing other styles: cyser, pyment, and melomel.



During our we stuck to the mead products, except for one fruit wine: their Three Sisters Elderberry Wine. This fruit is too tempting and is a new release for the winery. Elderberry wines are full bodied and can be made in any style: from dry to sweet. Hill Top's is made off dry with a full fruit flavor - as good as any grape wine. As for the meads, five styles were available for tasting. We started with the Rockfish River Cyser (82% apple and 18% honey) which is made semi-dry. It was good, but the apple flavor overwhelmed the honey and quite frankly we were interested in mead. However, for those more interested in apple wine, this is a great alternative - and quite different from the standard apple offerings. We next tried the Perry and this dessert wine is awesome. First, its probably the first wine with pear as an ingredient that we've tried - then combined with honey - it has the perfect combination of flavors. The Pyment (grape\honey wine) was served next and this concord grape-honey blend is truly unique. The concord provides the grapey aroma while the honey flavors triumph at the finish. This year Hill Top entered several wines into the San Francisco Wine Competition and the later two came home with medals. We finally got around to their Blue Ridge Mountain Mead, which we had previously tasted at several earlier wine festivals. The wine is made semi-dry and has a strong honey flavor and aroma. The mead is usually in short supply because members of the Society for Creative Anachronism use it for their festivals. The final wine made the trip memorable and is one of the reasons we visit less familiar wineries - to find truly original wines and at Hill Top we discovered our first fruit ice wine: Pounding Branch Persimmon Melomel. Melomel is honey wine made with fruit and for this concoction Hill Top picked frozen persimmons from off Wintergreen Mountain. The melomel is advertised as "Southern Ice Wine" - so we were expecting a sweet wine. Of course we were wrong - the wine is as dry as any white vinifera wine. But with a very unique flavor - spicy with hints of honey throughout. The judges in San Francisco were also taken - awarding it a Gold medal. Unfortunately, Hill Top's inventory is extremely low, so hurry over to purchase. But there are other concoctions waiting to take its place on the tasting bar. The Lavender Metheglin (mead made with spices), Blueberry Melomel, and Raspberry Melomel will all be available very soon. Then there's the fruit wine we didn't have time to sample. Blueberry, blackberry, cherry, cranberry, peach, plum, raspberry, par, and cherry - you name it, they probably vinify it.

The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act

One of the pleasures of touring wineries is that suburbanites can escape their surroundings and enjoy a trip to the country. Most wineries, at least those in mid-Atlantic, are situated among family farms, where livestock graze peacefully in the pasture. In most instances it is a scene from Old McDonald's Farm; but sadly, this scenario is actually the exception and not the rule. Instead there is a hidden world of factory farming consisting of gestation crates and battery cages - where the animals are confined their entire life - unable to move or even roll over. The practices are more than inhumane and only exist because the majority of people have no idea of their use. The Humane Society of America is trying to raise awareness of this scandal and their chapter in California helped to initiate Proposition 2: The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. This act will ban such practices in California and force these factory farms to treat animals humanely and with respect. Predictably, corporate entities nationwide are fighting this proposition with tremendous financial muscle. WineCompass normally tries to stay out of political arguments unless it involves the government trying to over regulate wine and spirits, but this issue is too important to sit on the sideline. We encourage all readers to visit the Humane Society of America and Californians for Humane Farms to learn more about this issue. You can also contribute financially at My.YESonProp2.com.

Old Dominion Brewery Closes Brewpub

The Old Dominion Brewing Company announced late last month that they were closing their popular brewpub. See their statement here. The brewpub was one of our favorite places to hangout for lunch, after a ride on the Old Dominion bike trail, or during Redskin's games (Redskin Park is practically across the street). Many regulars were concerned when Coastal Brewing (a partnership between Fordham Brewing Company and Anheuser-Busch) purchased the brewery last year that the new owners would start changing formulas or product lines. No one expected the worse - that the brewpub would actually disappear. According to the Washington Post, Coastal Brewing closed the pub because "But the pub wasn't drawing enough business to justify the cost of running it, said Casey Hollingsworth, vice president of sales and marketing at Coastal Brewing". Apparently their popular Dominion Ale, Dominion Lager, and Oak Barrel Stout will still be available at local grocery and beer stores, but no more stopping after work or on weekends to refill the growler. What a shame.

September 2008 Wine\Beer Festivals

The Wine-Compass.com event database currently shows about 1,000 upcoming wine\beer events in the United States and Canada. For those looking for wine festivals in September 2008, here is a short list of events in several states:

Arkansas
45th Annual Wiederkehr Village Weinfest - Wiederkehr Wine Cellars: September 27th

California
Winesong - Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg: September 5th-6th
Mendocino County Fair Gold Medal Wine Pouring - Mendocino: September 12th-14th
Harvest Celebration - El Dorado Winery Association: September 13th-14th
Lafayette Art & Wine Festival - Lafayette: September 20th-21st
20th American Wine & Food Festival - Universal Studios’ Back Lot, Los Angeles: September 26th-28th

Colorado
15th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival - Telluride: September 12th-15th
Colorado Mountain Winefest - Riverbend Park, Palisade: September 18th-21st

Connecticut
3rd Annual Foxwoods Food & Wine Festival - Foxwoods Resort & Casino: September 26th-28th

Kentucky
Kentucky Bourbon Festival – Bardstown: September 16th-21st

Maryland
Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival – Garrett County Fair Grounds, McHenry: September 6th
Baltimore Crab & Beer – Baltimore: September 16th
Annmarie Garden Artsfest – Annmarie Garden, Sculpture Park and Art Center, Lusby: September 20th-21st
The 25th Anniversary Maryland Wine Festival – Carroll County Farm Museum, Westminster: September 20th-21st
Wine Fest at the Beach – Inlet Park, Ocean City: September 26th-27th
Uncorked Rockville Wine Festival – Rockville Town Square, Rockville: September 27th

Michigan
Paw Paw Wine And Harvest Festival – Paw Paw: September 5th-7th
Old Mission Peninsula Wine & Food Celebration – Wineries of the Old Mission
Peninsula: September 6th
Traverse Epicurean Classic – Traverse Epicurean Alliance: September 10th-12th
Grand Haven Salmon Festival – Grand Haven: September 19th-21st

Minnesota
Minnesota Wine & Food Festival – Carlos Creek Winery: September 12th-14th

Missouri
Norton Wine Festival – History Museum in St. Louis: September 6th

New Jersey
WineFest 2008 - Valenzano Winery: September 20th-21st

New Mexico
Annual Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta – Santa Fe: September 24th-28th

New York
8th Annual Wine and Food Festival - Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs: September 4th-6th
Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest - Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck: September 6th-8th
Harvest Tour of Food and Wine – Keuka Lake Wine Trail: September 13th-14th
Harvest Fest – Niagara Wine Trail: September 20th-21st

North Carolina
The 34th Annual Grape Stomp – Duplin Winery: September 20th
Brewgrass Festival - Martin Luther King Jr Ballfield, Asheville: September 20th
Currituck Food and Wine Festival - The Cottin Gin, Jarvisburg: September 29th

Nova Scotia
3rd Annual Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival – Various Locations, Nova Scotia: September 4th-October 28th

Ontario
Niagara Wine Festival – St. Catharines: September 19th-28th

Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Wine & Music Festival - Gettysburg: September 6th-7th

South Carolina
Late Summer Harvest Fest - La Belle Amie Vineyard: September 13th
6th Annual Ballpark Festival of Beers - Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, Charleston: September 20th

South Dakota
Wine Train into the West - Prairie Berry Winery: September 20th-21st

Virginia
Harvest Wine Trail – James River Cellars: September 6th
11th Annual Virginia Beach Neptune Festival – Virginia Beach: September 13th-14th
39th Annual Bluemont Fair – Bluemont: September 20th-21th
33rd Annual Virginia Wine Festival – Prince William County Fairgrounds, Manassas: September 27th-28th
Northern Virginia Brewfest – Bull Run Park, Centreville: September 27th-28th
Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival – Lakewatch Plantation, Smith Mountain Lake: September 27th-28th

West Virginia
WV State BBQ & Bluegrass Festival – Lazy A Campground: June 6th-7th
Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival – Old Factory Antique Mall, Charles Town: September 26th-28th

Hinnant Family Vineyard 's 2004 Norton

We realized this week that we have an extraordinary inventory of Norton wines and decided it was time to start drinking some. We have been told that Norton wines age particularly well in the bottle so once in a while we will pull a random bottle and evaluate it. This week we drew the Hinnant Family Vineyard's 2004 Norton. This North Carolina winery is primarily known for its muscadine vineyard, but they branched out to Norton earlier in the decade. The 2004 vintage still retains the characteristically dark, dark crimson color and a grapey nose. But that's where any similarity ends. The grapey flavor has disappeared and is replaced with a blackberry\dark cherry flavor and an interesting spicy finish. The finish is long with the spicy flavor retained on the tongue. It reminds us more of a Syrah than a Norton. The thesis has its first confirmation: the Hinnant Family Vineyard's 2004 Norton ages well in the bottle.

Rose Bank Winery

After a day playing at Sesame Place, it was time for the adults to have some fun, so we ventured only a few mile north to visit Rose Bank Winery. A member of the Bucks County Wine Trail, the winery first opened in 1984 as In & Out Winery. Mike Selesnick owned and operated this venture until 1999, when he decided to retire to Florida. Dave Fleming, a neighboring produce grower, had been thinking about branching out into vineyards, so he purchased the property. This action probably saved the historic farm from development and Fleming renamed the farm after the original William Penn land grant: Rose Bank Farm. In fact, the property resides on a parcel of land originally deeded by William Penn to his daughters. The manor house was built in 1719 and is one of only 25 dressed stone buildings constructed in Bucks County. The existing barn was built in 1835, although Fleming lost half the barn in a fire a few years ago.

When Dave Fleming purchased the winery, he had zero experience growing grapes and wasn't even a wine drinker. Mike Selesnick worked with him for a year, while he learned all aspects of running a winery and vineyard, then remained as a consultant even after relocating to Florida. Mr. Fleming also earned a degree in Enology from U.C. Davis from a correspondence course. Since taking over, the product offerings and quality have increased and Rose Bank Winery was awarded their first Gold medal in the 2008 Keystone Wine Competition for their Mulled Apple wine. The winery and vineyard also follow organic practices, where manure is used for fertilization and nets cover the vineyard.

The tasting facility is located in a new building which also holds both the wine making and fermenting tanks. The winery also hosts weddings inside the tasting room or in the historic barn, depending on the size of the party. During our visit there were over a dozen wines available to sample. To satisfy their market, most of the wines are made semi-sweet or fruit wines, but we started with a few of their dry reds. The De Chaunac is a light bodied wine whereas the Chancellor Royale was fuller with an oakier finish. Both were good, but our favorite was the upcoming 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a full bodied wine - with some oak - and a flavorful, smooth finish.

We really liked their white wines, particularly the Vidal Blanc - the 100% varietal and the Nouvelle. Both are made from estate grown grapes and made semi-dry, the difference is that the grapes in the Nouvelle are pressed almost full cluster - just the stems are removed. We left with a bottle of each of these wines. We also liked their Cayuga - it has perhaps the most flavorful that we had previously sampled. The final white was the sweet Niagara - we loved the wine's aroma - a good representation of the grape. The same holds for their Concord, the best part being that its sweet - but not overly so.

Rose Bank offers several fruit wines, besides the aforementioned Mulled Apple. This wine suits as more for winter, but apparently others prefer it year round. The Cranberry was our favorite - but may not be for everyone because of its tartness. The others were fruitier and there's a fruit for everyone: Blueberry, Blackberry Strawberry, Peach, and Red Raspberry.


We enjoyed our visit and hope to return in the Fall to spend more time at the winery and to explore the Bucks County Wine Trail. The area provides examples of both American history and excellent produce.

Republic of Georgia & Wine

We wanted to send out a note of support for the citizens of the Republic of Georgia facing a brutal invasion from Russia. This small country is considered by historians as the birthplace of wine cultivation and is home to several indigenous grapes: Rkatsiteli, Akhasheni, Kindzmarauli, Tsinandali, Teliani, and Saperavi - among others. The Gori disrict, which is taking the brunt of the Russian attack, is a large grape growing region and we can only hope that the vineyards survive the conflict. If you would like to learn more about the great wine making tradition in Georgia visit the Georgian Wine House and Dozortsev and Sons. If you would like to donate to Georgian Humanitarian Relief visit WorldVision.

Wine & Food Magazine - Wine Snobs?

In the September issue of Wine & Food Magazine, Lettie Teague contributed an interesting article on vintages. The article examined vintages from different wine regions around the globe. However, at the end of the article she took a dig at many of us by writing that vintage doesn't matter for grocery store wine - so for those who purchase these wines, disregard the entire article. Maybe we are being overly sensitive, but from our many travels talking to wine drinkers, "grocery" store wines are what most people can afford on a daily basis. Including us; our price range is from $10-$15 for everyday table wine. And there are excellent wines in this price range - and from our experience vintages do matter for these wines. We've seen yearly differences between lower priced Virginia Cabernet Franc, Missouri Norton, Texas Lenoir, or a Washington\Finger Lakes Riesling - say Chateau Ste. Michelle among others.

She also takes the easy explanation and blames drought conditions on global warming when in fact the earth has cooled dramatically over the past eight years. Even if there were global warming - many scientists predict that that phenomenon would produce more rain because of increased evaporation. Instead, cooler conditions are more likely to produce drought conditions. At least that's what our meteorology guru Joe Bastardi writes.

Villa Appalaccia Winery

Another benefit that we found while attending FloydFest is that Villa Appalaccia Winery is located right next door, literally a five minute walk. On Sunday, we set aside enough free time to visit the winery and discovered that it is only one of only two wineries in Virginia to produce wine from predominately Italian varieties. One of the reasons is that their vineyard is planted in shale – not the good ole Virginia clay. The shale soil is closer to its equivalent in Italy – so the Italian varietal wines are closer to an Italian wine, than a Virginia wine. We also learned that this is a small winery - producing only 3,000 cases a year. To put in perspective – neighboring Chateau Morrisette produces 60,000 cases a year.

The tasting room for Villa Appalaccia is located in a Tuscany inspired country house with a Bocce court on the premises. There is a large covered veranda available for drinking a bottle with cheese and bread – and in our case – to listen to the music emanating next door. Besides the Cabernet Franc, the wines were truly Italian: Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Primitivo, Aglianico, and even Corvina. We started with their Pinot Grigio and Pinot Grigio Reserve; the later is the standard Pinot Grigio where ½ the wine is fermented in steel then in the barrel. Normally we prefer other white wines, but both of these were very drinkable and refreshing – with a surprisingly fuller flavor than most versions we have sampled. We next tried the Simpatico, which was our favorite white and the one we consumed at FloydFest. It is a blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia Bianca, and Pinot Grigio that has citrus flavors and a spicy finish similar to a Gewurztraminer. At $15, this is an excellent everyday white wine.

Moving to reds, we sampled several wines that are produced no where else on the east coast. And if the winery produces the now sold out Rustico (made from the Corvino grape) in the future then the experience will be even more enlightening. We started with the Primitive – the Italian Zinfandel - which has a strong cherry aroma and smooth flavor. Although a little spicy at the tail, the wine is a toned down version from those produced in Lodi or Amador. Which translates to “very drinkable”. The Toscanello was next and this blend of Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and Primitivo is a medium bodied wine – smooth and drinkable now. The wine is aged in old French oak, with a small amount in 1-2 year old American oak. Our favorite red was the Aglianco – maybe the only 100% Aglianco wine made in the United States. This is a full bodied wine and Villa Appalaccia recommends drinking with “substantial” meats. The final red was the 2004 Cabernet Franc – one of the many excellent versions produced in Virginia. It has a huge cherry flavor – smooth with a low tannic finish. It was plainly evident that the red wines were the strength of this winery.

There were also two dessert wines, the Alba and Raspberry Beret. The Alba was very interesting because this year’s version – made from Vidal Blanc and Moscato – contains a strong minty aroma that disappears with the taste. Very interesting.... The Beret is for chocolate lovers – it blends seamlessly with a morsel. And we like anything made from raspberries.

We highly recommend a visit to Villa Appalaccia either as a planned trip, while attending FloydFest, or simply while driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. Otherwise you have to attend one of the many Virginia wine festivals – which account for almost 30% of all their wine sales. We look forward to next year’s festival – and a longer stay at the winery.

Chateau Morrisette

The FloydFest organizers selected the Château Morrisette festival parking lot as the general parking area for their festival. This made it rather easy to visit the winery during the event and we had arranged to meet one of the festival’s performers, Oneside, at the winery. The Château Morrisette’s birth occurred in 1978 when the Morrisette family planted the first grapes in the estate. It turned out to be another "hobby that grew out of hand" as the winery’s production and yields increased. Son, David Morrisette received a degree in enology and viticulture from Mississippi State University and returned home to become the winery’s first official wine maker in 1982. For the rest of the decade the winery’s production and variety of grapes increased and a new change ensued when the Morrisette family invited David’s former classmate Bob Burgin to become the primary wine maker. The wines continued to improve under Burgin, but eventually sales started turning flat. The solution: a change in marketing. The labels of several wines were changed to the “Dog” series in honor of the vineyard dogs and the family’s support for canine charities. Sales soared so the existing production facilities were expanded so that the winery now has capacity to age 130,000 gallons in stainless steel and 50,000 more gallons in oak. The source of grapes has also expanded to 150 acres of vineyards spread out across the commonwealth. Over the years Burgin transitioned to other responsibilities so the winery hired Dan Tallman, the former winemaker of Clos Du Bois Winery, as the head wine maker.

With the large Chateau, weddings, music events, and good wine – the winery is a popular destination. When we arrived, there were already a few visitors from FloydFest, a wedding was being organized for later that afternoon, and the area Kennel club was holding a meeting. Even with this large contingent of visitors, there was ample space for everyone and we headed to the tasting bar. Regrettably we did not get a chance to sample their Tannat or Petit Verdot, but for a $5 tasting fee, we sampled ten wines. That’s a bargain in itself. We started out with what turned out to be our favorite white, the 2006 Viognier. Made dry, this wine still had a fruity aroma and flavor. A lighter wine, the Independence, was next in the queue. This Traminette and Riesling blend had a grapefruit flavor and a spicy finish from the Traminette. Not bad. Our first red was the Liberty, a medium bodied wine made from Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. This was a very good everyday drinking wine, priced at $12. It’s full of black cherry flavors and a smooth finish. The 2006 vintage Chambourcin was next and this wine had a peppery finish – probably from aging in French Oak. I preferred this red to the 2005 Merlot, which just wasn’t full enough for our tastes. Getting a little sweeter – and spicier, we tried the semi-dry The Black Dog, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, and Merlot. This is a very smooth wine and is the same formula as the Hokey Red. The Hokey White is based on the Angel Chardonnay, which we liked; the chardonnay grapes were either barrel or tank fermented and then a little Riesling and Vidal Blanc added to the concoction. Pineapple is prevalent in the nose and flavor. The winery’s most popular brand, Our Dog Blue, is a semi-sweet blend of Riesling, Vidal Blanc, and Traminette. We carry cases of wines to friends on our travels so are well aware of its popularity. A good picnic wine – and affordable at $10. The sweet American blend of Concord and Niagara was also a favorite – the winery markets it as a dessert wine – but looking around people were commenting as if it were a table wine. It’s fruity and grapey – the distinctive concord flavor prevalent. The final wine was the 2005 Frosty Dog, an ice wine styled wine made from frozen Traminette and Vidal Blanc grapes. This wine has a great honeysuckle aroma and a semi-honey flavor.

At this time, Oneside joined us and we headed outside with a bottle of Viognier. Front man Ned deBray had worked at a wine shop in his past and was well aware of the grape’s Rhone heritage. He had already selected the vintage Petit Verdot as a gift, without knowing how well the grape grows in Virginia. The band was in awe of the surrounding countryside and estate and we enjoyed the wine having a nice conversation. As one of Virginia’s largest wineries, they don’t need our help in convincing people to visit. There wines are also prevalent in local wine stores so you don’t need to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway to taste the wines. We will see them again at next year’s FloydFest.

Blacksnake Meadery

While attending FloydFest in southwest Virginia I wanted to take the opportunity to visit a few wineries and the first on my list was Blakesnake Meadery. The meadery had assisted us in an early article on Honey Wine and Colony Collapse Disorder so I wanted to pay our respects. Fortunately we called ahead and learned the owners, Steve and Joanne Villers, were also attending FloydFest, but they graciously arranged an early morning appointment. The couple started the meadery a few years ago as an excuse to spend more time in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Steve had many years experience home brewing beer – but a brewery was not commercially viable – neither a traditional vineyard. The next alternative: honey wine. They researched the process, purchased hives and started storing honey; all the while, keeping their 9-5 jobs a hundred miles away in Roanoke. On weekends they returned to the meadery to monitor the bees, ferment the honey, bottle the mead, and every other task required for a family operated business. Slowly the business grew to where today they possess 16 hives that produce close to 800 pounds of honey. Since approximately 2 lbs of honey is required for each bottle of honey wine – that’s about 30 cases worth. To increase their stock, they purchase varietal honey such as Tupelo and Sourwood. But their local honey should be excellent; the country roads leading to Blakesnake are lined with miles of wild flowers in which the bees feed.

When I arrived the Villers were waiting on their porch with their four current offerings ready: Sourwood Honey Wine, Bee Brew with Hops, Sweet Virginia and Meloluna. Blacksnake Meadery is located too far north for Sourwood trees to grow – but sourwood honey is a popular southern varietal available in neighboring Patrick County. As its name implies, it is a little sour and the wine is made bone dry at 0% r.s. Initially I was unsure whether I liked it, but slowly it has grown on me. Sometimes I cheat and add a little Barenjager; but alone – it reminds me a little like a hefeweisen, which leads into the next offering: the Bee Brew with Hops. Immediately this was my favorite – refreshing and clean. The concoction is made by boiling their wildflower honey with cascade hops and adding a small amount of carbonation from bottle conditioning. The result: refreshing pale ale. The aroma is awesome – pure hops. This may become the alcohol of choice after mowing the grass. And with the goal of being self sufficient, the Villers planted hops which snakes across their porch – adding more charm to their meadery. Next was the Sweet Virginia, made in the traditional mead style and diluted with mountain well water. This is a perfect mead – pure honey flavors and aroma – and not gritty sweet at 6% r.s. It also pairs well with food – we tried it with burgers and chicken – but the meadery recommends game. No matter – it’s good. Finally Blacksnake produces a dessert style mead at 12% r.s. – the Meloluna. This is great alternative to the pricey late harvest or ice wines and since it’s made in the same fashion at the Sweet Virginia, it’s the same wine – just sweeter.



Regrettably Blacksnake Meadery is isolated from major population centers, but for those travelling the Blue Ridge Parkway, the meadery is only a short detour. Blacksnake is also a member of the Blue Ridge Wine Trail so Blacksnake can be included in any tour of the local wineries and cider mills. We look forward to our next visit to Floyd – to listen to excellent music with mead. Thanks Jo and Steve.

Lexington Valley Vineyards

While passing through Lexington, we took the opportunity to visit another recently opened winery in Virginia, Lexington Valley Vineyard. The Hale family had been growing grapes on the property since 2000 and selling the produce to neighboring Rockbridge Winery. However, several years later, as time permitted – from commuting to the University of Missouri – they decided to proceed to the next stage and produce wine under their own label. The winery’s expertise is with Norton – which is not unexpected since Virginia and Missouri are the two most popular areas growing this variety. And with Mr. Hale’s work at U of M in Columbia, he has access to learn the techniques from several of the leading Missouri wineries. The other wines offered by the winery are white wines made from French-American hybrids. These grapes are hardy enough to withstand the Shenandoah Valley weather.

After driving along several winding roads, we were surprised to see several other vehicles already at the winery. For a Friday afternoon we thought that we’d be alone. But no, one group was just starting a tasting and another was lounging with a pitcher of Sangria on the deck. We started with their Vignoles, which is made dry – but contains a strong pineapple flavor with major acidity. It almost felt like a sparkling wine – and could be why it is the main ingredient in their homemade Sangria. This is a good – summer wine. Next was their Vidal Blanc – a little sweeter than the Vignoles – and with more of a grapefruit flavor. We still preferred the Vignoles. We next tried a very unique wine, maybe the only rosé styled wine made in Virginia using just Norton. It is made off-dry and recommended served chilled. It is fruity and when served chilled – refreshing. We liked this wine – basically in summer drink the rosé and in winter, the two Norton varietal wines. Speaking of these two, the Black Tie Norton is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and was awarded a Silver Medal - 2007 Virginia Governor's Cup. It is a full bodied wine with spicy tannins – but the traditional Norton fruity taste. The 100% Norton is as full-bodied with a string black cherry flavor and a smoother finish than the Black Tie Norton. I guess being purists, we preferred the Norton over the Black Tie Norton – obviously others with a stronger wine pedigree disagree.

We stayed a little longer at Lexington Valley than we had planned – because it was so relaxing. When sitting on the deck, the vineyards spread out in the distance, with hawks flying overhead, honey bees buzzing among the clover, and humming birds feeding on the deck. We could have stayed for hours – drinking the Vignoles, Chill Rosé, or the Sangria. However, Floydfest was in full swing and we had to move on. Currently their wines are sold exclusively from the tasting room and they are not participating at the numerous Virginia festivals – there is no one available to cover the tasting room. We recommend a visit.

California Wine Tour Day 5 - Napa Valley

Being regular sparkling wine drinkers, we had neglected this style since our excursion to J Vineyards. We decided to head directly to Mumm Napa, where we knew a wide array of sparkling wines would await us. We had tried several of these wines at this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival and thought that many of their wines were great values priced at $20. In 1979 Guy Devaux was sent by the French Champagne house, G.H. Mumm, and its parent Seagram to seek a location to grow and produce sparkling wines using traditional Champagne grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) and traditional processes: methode champenoise. He settled in Napa Vally and established Mumm Cuvee Napa, which became operational in 1986. Currently Champagne born winemaker Ludovi Dervin carries on this tradition, using only Napa Valley grown grapes and allowing the wine to secondary ferment in the bottle.

When we arrived the winery was quite crowded, but we were quickly seated on the patio. Their system for handling visitors is simple and makes the tasting process very personal. Basically you choose a table, and then the wait staff handles your wine order – answering any questions or suggesting flights. It’s like being at an outdoor café. Another nice policy is that they serve each wine with an associated coaster that contains the label of that wine. It makes it much easier to remember each wine. We sampled four wines, the Reserve Brut, Cuvee M Red, the Grande Annee, and the Sparkling Pinot Noir. Each of these wines retail for $30 and were excellent – flavorful with small bubbles. The Reserve Brut was as dry as its name suggests, but also fruity (white cherry) with a slight vanilla finish. It is a 60-40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aged three years on lees. The Cuvee M Red is a unique blend of Pinot Noir and a little Syrah. This is a dark red wine, which tastes a little like a sparkling elderberry wine that’s a little spicy. The whole Pinot Noir berries are soaked for five days to extract the color and flavors, and then fermented with the skins pressed off after fermentation. A Syrah-based liquor is added to each bottle after disgorgement. The result is one of our favorite sparkling wines and one of the winery’s best sellers. The 2001 Grande Annee or “Great Vintage” is only produced when the winemaker determines that the grapes will age perfectly. The 2001 vintage is another 60-40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and is aged 5 years on lees, then another 3 months after being disgorged. This is a complex wine, with honeysuckle aromas and a vanilla finish. The mid palette is a jumble of differing tastes. It truly deserves the Double Gold at the 2007 California State Fair Competition. The final wine was the Sparkling Pinot Noir, another red wine with a slight plum and cherry flavor. For some reason this was our favorite; it was quite out of the ordinary – like a true Pinot Noir with fizz. If you are unable to tour Napa, Mumm Napa’s sparkling wines are generally available throughout the country. They are extremely affordable and great values.

While cruising Highway 29, we frequently passed an interesting line of trees bending over a driveway with a chateau inspired building in the rear. Our curiosity was finally relieved when we drove under the Sycamore tress into Peju Province Winery. Without even tasting the wines Peju became one of favorite destinations. The grounds are awesome, with multiple fountains, sculptures, gardens, and even a small creek. We toured the estate for at least 45 minutes before venturing inside the tasting room, which itself, is housed in a pretty cool building: the Peju Tower. The building is composed of stucco and stone and interestingly, the posts and beams are made of lumber salvaged from old Midwestern barns.

In the early 1980’s, Anthony Peju and his wife Herta Behensky (HB) decided to enter the wine industry and searched for the appropriate location throughout California. They found the perfect location in Rutherford, purchasing an estate of vineyards that included 60 or more year old Cabernet Sauvignon and French Colombard. Location was the key, since the estate bordered the existing Robert Mondavi, Inglenook and Beaulieu enterprises. They then turned to creating the proper tasting room that they envisioned as well as creating the fantastic landscaping we saw today.

Upon entering the tasting room, we were greeted by very friendly hosts who help facilitate a trip to the bathroom during a bad potty training episode. They were completely understanding. Afterward we were guided into the main tasting area where a large stained glass window greeted us. This magnificent window was created a century ago and depicts “the three Greek graces in a beautiful garden”. Whatever that means. Our official tasting was in the Uluru Room, or The Addition, which shares the stained glass window with the main tasting area, but also has a quartzite tiled floor and silk lamp shades. A very unique look.

We started out with a nice Estate Bottled Chardonnay from grapes grown in the Persephone Vineyard. The wine was aged in French Oak which gave it texture but not a buttery finish. The wine was quite refreshing – but not as interesting as their Provence, a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and French Colombard. This is the type of unique wine that makes wine touring interesting – since it is probably not stocked in many retail stores. The wine is dry, yet fruity and refreshing which explains why it was the wine of choice for a few couples picnicking in the gardens. And after the tasting, this was the most popular wine purchased by our fellow visitors. After the Provence, we moved to the full-bodied Bordeaux reds, starting with the Estate Bottled Napa Valley Merlot. Even though the wine was aged 16 months in oak – it is a very smooth and fruity wine, probably due to the extra 10 months aged in the bottle. From this tasting and a few previous, it’s nice to see Merlot still prevalent among established wineries. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was also aged a year and half in oak and is a full-bodied wine. It has an intense dark cherry flavor with a slightly spicy finish – we describe a lot of cabs that way, don’t we. In any case, we like this wine, but even more the Napa Valley Cabernet Franc. It had a stronger cherry flavor and seemed smother than the Cabernet Sauvignon. In sum, the wines are excellent – another winery where each offering was suburb. Add in the architecture and you have one of our favorite places.

After a fulfilling late lunch at Taylors (try the meatball sandwich and coconut milk shake), we explored the back roads of Howell Mountain in order to allow someone to sleep in the car. After an hour driving, we got the urge to visit another winery before the 5:00 o’clock closings. While driving from the Silverado Trail to Route 128 we came upon a sign for Silver Oak Cellars and charged ahead. And found a construction site. Actually, the winery is being completely reconstructed after a fire destroyed the historic dairy barn where the winery was located. The new winery\tasting facility is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. In the meantime, the tasting room is housed in a temporary – but spacious – trailer. Upon entering the facility we found a very different enterprise than those we had visited earlier.

Over thirty five years ago Ray Duncan partnered with Justin Meyer (then the winemaker at Christian Brothers) with the idea to make wine from a single variety: Cabernet Sauvignon. And not just a typical Cabernet that’s tannic content requires several years of aging. They wanted to produce a wine with “fully developed flavors and a velvety soft texture on the day it is released for sale”. In order to do so, they purchased vineyards in two premier appellations (Napa and the Alexander Valley) and developed a partnership with a Missouri cooperage to ensure a steady supply of high quality American oak. Over the years they manipulated the blends within the appellations and between new and used oak to produce duo of wines that evidently have a large following. Mr. Meyer selected Daniel Baron to succeed him as winemaker and eventually sold his shares back to the Duncan family. With several years working experience in the Bordeaux region, Mr. Baron’s experience further contributes to the Silver Oak Cellars philosophy.

We were both relieved and surprised to find only two wines awaiting us in the tasting room. After a day of tasting, we were starting to tire of wine, so we figured we could handle two more. On the other hand, we have never visited a winery that had this few offerings. Interesting. We started with the 2003 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from several Alexander Valley vineyards. The irony of finding an Alexander Valley wine in Napa the day after traveling specifically to Alexander Valley and finding mostly Napa grown wines was not lost on us. The wine is aged in 50% new and 50% once-used American oak barrels for 25 months, and then spends another 15 months aging in bottle. The wine has a full black cherry flavor that lasts throughout – from the nose to the tail. This wine is a fine example where wineries should serve beef cubes while tasting – it must pair well with beef.

The 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was actually a Bordeaux blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine is blended than aged in 100% new American oak barrels approximately 25 months, and then spends another 20 months aging in bottle. No need to store this wine; drink immediately. This is a smooth wine that is probably worth its steep price ($100). It is neither fruit forward or earthy, but rather a nice combination of the two. Even though this wine appears a little spicier than the Alexander Valley wine, it seems to be more drinkable on its own – without a meal – and even during a hot day. We enjoyed this wine – an instant classic. And good luck to Silver Oak Cellars on this reconstruction.

After leaving Silver Oak, we decided to drive once more along Route 29 near Rutherford, before finishing our last day in Napa. Along the way we noticed that Alpha Omega Winery was still open. Why not one more. The winery is a little over a year old and the permanent tasting facility is still under construction. We walked around the front after our tasting to examine the new facility and it will be impressive – particularly the large deck\patio that overlooks the lake. For now, the temporary tasting area is located next to the fermenting tanks. Who cares, the wines were great. Winemaker Jean Hoefliger has crafted wines in several styles that we really enjoyed. Unfortunately, we lost our tasting notes of the session – probably left behind in the rental car. The rest is based strictly from memory.

Alpha Omega was offering two white wines, a few red wines, as well as a rosé styled wine – finally a few white wines to finish our trip. Both the 2007 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay were very nice; both refreshing with the Chardonnay fruity not “oaky”. The Sauvignon Blanc will be very popular once the deck is finished – we can envision spending an afternoon basking in the Napa sun. The 2007 Napa Valley Rosé was a hit – a dry wine with a strawberry flavor and an acidic finish that popped in the mouth. It’s nice to see this wine style being offered along with the full bodied reds. As for red wines, we tasted the 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2005 Napa Valley Proprietary Red. The Cabernet Sauvignon was jammy, while the Proprietary Red was earthier – but they both were very drinkable now. We were also privileged to sample the 2006 Napa Valley Proprietary Red in the barrel. This will be a great wine – already smooth and earthy. We were ready to drink directly from the barrel all day. We will keep an eye open for when this wine is bottled.

After a long week of tasting, our trip was over; time for fireworks and sleep in order to catch an early flight in the morning. Thanks to everyone we met for their hospitality and for making this a wonderful experience. As always, see the Compass Tours section at Wine-Compass.com for pictures.

California Wine Tour Day 5 - Stags Leap District

Today we started the last day of our trip and our only full day in Napa on the Silverado Trail. This road runs parallel to Highway 29, is less crowded, and most importantly is home to many excellent wineries. One of these is Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, where we intentionally started the day. If you have been keeping track of our tour, you will not be surprised to learn that this winery is included in the Paul Lukacs book "The Great Wines of America: The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages". The wine that led to the inclusion in the book: The Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, which won top red wine at the 1976 Paris tasting. What made it more remarkable is that this wine was the very first vintage from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and the vines that produced the fruit were only three years old. How’d that happen?

According to the winery, “In 1969, Warren Winiarski tasted homemade Cabernet Sauvignon from Nathan Fay's vineyard on the eastern side of the Napa Valley and knew he'd found a place capable of producing wines as classic and expressive as France's greatest vintages. In 1970, Warren and his family established their S.L.V. vineyard on land next to Fay's and began their winery, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, in early 1972.” A few years later, the Paris tasting – and then international recognition for producing “elegant Cabernets”. In the mid 1980’s they were able to purchase the famed FAY vineyard so that now they produce reserve wines; one from this vineyard, the second from the famed S.L.V. vineyard, and CASK 23 – a proprietary blend produced from the two vineyards and only during exceptional years.

By the time we arrived at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, the tasting room was already crowded – at 11:00 am. We started with the regular tasting of the Napa Valley Collection which consisted of the Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, KARIA Chardonnay, Napa Valley Merlot, and the ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon. The Sauvignon Blanc was one of the best we tasted – more like the true Bordeaux blend with the addition of the aromas from the Semillon. It is a refreshing wine, nice acidity – with a slight grapefruit flavor. A good start to the day. The KARIA Chardonnay has the chardonnay flavor expected from the variety, with a slightly creamy finish. The wine was aged 9 months in used French oak – so that finish is soft – not buttery. Fortunately this wine is widely available on the East Coast. The Napa Valley Merlot is a medium-bodied wine that is extremely smooth for a wine that has been aged a year and a half in French oak. The nose is all vanilla, with strawberry flavors and a slightly pleasant spicy finish – not a peppery finish. Finally, the ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon is the full-bodied red – aged 16 months in French oak – that is both fruit forward (black cherry) – yet spicy and buttery at the finish. That must be how they describe a wine as complex.

We next moved to the Estate tasting where we were able to sample the famed S.L.V., FAY, and CASK 23 cabernets. All the wines are aged two years in French oak, with the S.L.V. and CASK 23 consisting of a tiny portion of Petite Verdot. Initially the FAY cab resembled the Napa Valley cab with a fruity dark cherry flavor – but this wine was even more complex with a smoother and slightly spicier finish. Even the hint of pepper blended into the entire experience. The S.L.V. was our favorite, completely smooth, full of aromas and flavors and with an acidity that seem to blend the wine in the palette. If only this wine met our budget. The CASK 23 is a blend of the first two wines, yet doesn’t really taste like either. It is spicier than the two with more of a chocolate flavor – mixed with cherry and vanilla. This is not a dessert and at $175, it may be the last taste we will have. We savored these wines; the thought of spitting and dumping never crossed our minds. Afterwards we felt extremely fortunate to have tasted these historic wines – thank you Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Oh yea, if you visit, ask to view the vineyard map that displays how the vineyard is planted. They should sell it as a post

While driving to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars we passed an Alamo-ish villa painted exclusively white so after that tasting we backed tracked to visit Chimney Rock Winery. The winery was founded by the Anthony Terlato in 1980 with the goal of producing artisan wines of "first-growth structure, style and taste". Since the geography of the Stags Leap District encourages slow ripening fruit and richer flavors, their vineyard selection was a good start. The winery also created the "Fletcher Lyre" trellising system which creates smaller, richer grapes. The result is wines that have scored consistent 90+ ratings from major publications. But are the wines tasteful for the average consumer?

The Chimney Rock estate is a beautiful place to visit, from driving through the gate - to the tasting facility – and finally the lazy waterfall in the courtyard. Without tasting the wines, we enjoyed sitting on the patio as our son played with his toys on the waterfall. The patio was also crowded as other families and couples stayed after sampling the wine. As for wines, we started with the Elevage Blanc a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. There was nothing wrong with this wine, except it just happened to follow Stag’s Leap Wine Cellar’s version on the itinerary. And we preferred the later. On the other hand, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and Elevage (Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, & Petite Verdot) were very comparable to those produced at Stag’s Leap. The Cabernet Sauvignon had a blackberry flavor with a smooth vanilla finish, whereas the Elevage had more chocolate flavors – yet just as smooth. Back East, one of the best viniferia wines is Cabernet Franc so we were excited to be able to experience a West coast version at any opportunity. Unfortunately, that opportunity was rare, so thankfully Chimney Rock had two offerings, the 2005 Cabernet Franc and the Rosé of Cabernet Franc. The winery usually doesn’t produce a single varietal Cabernet Franc, but the yield from the 2005 harvest was so ideal, there was enough juice for just such a product. Like the Elevage, this wine had a hint of chocolate that complemented the black cherry flavor. Very nice. The Rosé of Cabernet Franc was the first of a few rosé styled wines we tasted for the day and this one was quite different. Usually rosé wines have a strawberry flavors but this one was more of dark fruit – plum and cherry – and more aromatic. The acidity makes this a refreshing dry wine as well. If we didn’t have to move on, this would have been the wine to drink on the patio.

See the Compass Tours section at Wine-Compass.com for pictures.

California Wine Tour Day 4 - Beer

During our wine country door, by the end of each day and definitely by the end of the week, we could not force down another glass of wine. So in the evening and occasionally at lunch we would sample the local beers. We were surprised at the number and caliber of available locally produced beers. The first we tasted was from the Lagunitas Brewing Company, located in Petaluma. Our favorite of theirs is the Czech Style Pilsner, followed by the India Pale Ale. If you like hoppy beer, then try the Bear Republic Brewery’s Racer 5. We tried this beer at their brewpub in Healdsburg. Fortunately, beers from both of these breweries are available at our local beer source: Norm’s Beer & Wine. Another good microbrew, and where we had a fabulous meal, is the Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery. We had the Wheat Ale – it was excellent with their paella. If you find yourself in Napa Valley driving along Highway 29, visit the Silverado Brewing Company in St. Helena. Or head south to Napa and have a meal at Downtown Joe's American Grill & Brewhouse. We couldn’t get in the door to this establishment during the 4th of July celebrations. There may be other good brews from the area; we’ll take another look next time.

California Wine Tour Day 4 - Sonoma County

We had an early afternoon appointment at Ridge Vineyards - Lytton Springs so we headed north on State Road 128 crossing back into Sonoma County and traveling through some of the nicest countryside we had seen: the Knight and Alexander Valleys. Don’t miss this drive – its one of the best in the area. We arrived and were greeted by David Gates, the winery’s vineyard manager since 1989. Most of Ridge’s operation is located in Cupertino – near San Jose – but in the early 1990’s they purchased the Lytton Springs vineyards after purchasing its zinfandel since 1972. They eventually built a tasting room to take advantage of Sonoma tourism. Today the vineyard contains primarily Zinfandel with smaller amounts of Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mataro – which we learned is an alias for Mourvèdre, and Grenache.

Ridge Vineyards is also included in the Paul Lukacs book, "The Great Wines of America: The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages", for its Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine also participated in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting and for the 30th Anniversary of the event, it was select tops overall from a panel of American and British officials. Obviously it ages well. Unfortunately the winery was not pouring this wine, no need to waste a wine with a $175 price tag. Mr. Gates also explained that many wines are not poured in tasting rooms because not only do wineries lose by not gaining the income from wine poured for free, but that they also have to pay taxes to the federal government for each bottled wine – regardless whether the bottle is sold or poured at the tasting room. That is one reason that has increased the use and price in tasting fees as wineries attempt to recoup the taxes paid to Uncle Sam.

While reviewing their tasting sheet the immediate benefit that we noticed was that the tasting offered a good sample of wines from various California appellations as single site wines. Besides Lytton Springs and the Monte Bello Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Ridge owns vineyards in Geyersville, Paso Robles, Pagani Ranch (Sonoma Valley), and York Creek (Spring Mountain – Napa County). We started with the 2006 Chardonnay Mikulaco – from grapes grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We really like this wine – Chardonnay flavors throughout – and one of the most affordable at $25. The next was also a Santa Cruz Mountains wine, the 2005 Estate Cab – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This is another wine they recommend aging – but after already aged 21 months in American Oak – it’s ready now. It has a strong fruit flavor and a smooth finish for a wine aged that long in oak. We moved next to several Zinfandel wines, starting with the 2005 Lytton Springs, a blend of Zinfandel (77%), Petite Sirah (17%), and Carignane (6%). This composition of grapes has become somewhat of an industry standard for Zinfandel based wines and for good reason. The blend produces excellent wines and the Lytton Springs is no exception. At the same time this wine is full bodied, yet fruity and smooth. At $35, we wish it would only fit our daily budget. The same could be said for their 2006 Geyserville a similar blend with only different percentages of the same grapes, plus a little Mataro. The wine spends 14 month in the barrel and feels a little stronger than the Lytton Springs. Still, it’s very smooth. The 2006 Zinfandel Paso Robles is a 100% varietal that is aged 13 months in the barrel. The wine is slightly spicier than its brethren, but possesses a strong cherry flavor. Another 100% varietal was the 2006 Carignane Buchignani Ranch. This is the first 100% Carignane that we have tasted and we were immediately impressed and at $24 this wine is more affordable than the Zinfandel. Its fruity and young – let it sit awhile after opening. The final wine we tasted was the 2005 Syrah Lytton West - a red wine that includes 6% Viognier. The Syrah was aged 21 months so it’s a strong wine – I guess the Viognier adds to the aroma and maybe contributes to the spicy finish. This wine is very drinkable now – and would love to pair with food.

After our tasting, David took us on a vineyard tour where he showed us the various zinfandel and petite sirah plantings. That day he was also overseeing new plantings of vines in another part of the vineyard, which he had to return to. In parting he suggested that we visit Bella Vineyard’s wine cave so off we went.

While driving to Bella Vineyards we got our first look at Dry Creek Valley and its narrow roads, hilly terrain, and vineyards throughout. A great area to bike. We knew nothing about our destination, except for oral directions. Afterward we learned that during the 1990s, Scott and Lynn Adams toured the wine country frequently, got married in the area, and eventually, partnering with family members, purchased the current estate in 1999. The couple quickly began immersed themselves in vineyard management and wine making and after almost 5 years – the winery was operational. The tasting room resides in a cave, excavated in 2003, carved into one of the rolling hills on the estate.

When we arrived we found a very popular winery – perhaps the most crowded tasting room to date - and several interesting red wines. It finally dawned on us that white wines were definitely in short supply in Sonoma County and Bella was not alone in producing only red wines. We first tried the 2006 Dry Creek Zinfandel; a wine with black cherry flavors. We experienced firsthand how the same grapes grown in different vineyards helps create dissimilar wines. For the next wine was the estate vineyard’s 2006 Lily Hill Zinfandel from 90 year old vines located above the cave. This wine tasted of blackberries, was more fruit forward with an especially smooth finish. This was our favorite of the day – we could have easily sat on the hillside, or in the cave, and finished off one of these bottles. While the first two wines were fruit forward, the second two were earthier. The 2006 Sonoma County Syrah is produced from grapes from the Lily Hill estate and Sonoma Coast vineyards. It had the most distinct nose of all the wines with a strong full bodied flavor and spicy finish. The 2006 Lily Hill Petite Sirah had more of a plum flavor with a peppery finish. It was nice to be able to taste another 100% Petite Sirah since Foppiano Vineyards and we will be searching for this varietal back east. The final wine was the 2007 Late Harvest Zinfandel. This was our second dessert wine on the trip – we figured that late harvest wines are scarce since the grapes were just too valuable to let sit on the vines. This one had a cherry flavor, and was sweet – not gritty, just sweet. Maybe this sweetness was our perception from just drinking several dry full bodied reds – we are not sure. In any case – this is a winery to visit. And in the meantime, search for their 2006 Lily Hill Zinfandel.

Since we enjoyed the drive through Alexander Valley, we decided to return to Napa via that route and if possible visit another winery. We had previously spotted White Oak Vineyards & Winery and its Mediterranean-style buildings and arrived just minutes before closing. The tasting room employees merrily greeted us and as we tasted the wines, we learned more about the winery’s history. After a career as a building contractor and salmon fisherman, Bill Myers relocated to Healdsburg in the 1970’s. He purchased a vineyard from proceeds from selling his fishing boat and purchased a vineyard in the Alexander Valley. Winemaking soon followed. Over time he gained a reputation for producing quality Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc. In 1997 he expanded his vineyard capability by aligning with Burdell Properties, who purchased vineyards in Napa Valley and the Russian River Valley. A little later the existing tasting room was built, surrounded by seventeen acres of Zinfandel vines first planted approximately eighty years ago.

Although we were hoping to try an Alexander Valley supplied wine, we started out our tasting with two Russian River Valley whites, their Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Finally, some white wine. The Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc is now the winery’s signature wine; it is a refreshing wine with nice acidity and citrus flavors. This is your wine for a hot afternoon. And priced at $16 well within our budget. The Chardonnay has more of an apple flavor with a slight oaky finish. This is a good wine – it should fare well alone or with a meal. The first round of reds were big wines from Napa Valley grown grapes: a Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were all very good, but we preferred the Merlot above the others. It had a cherry-chocolate flavor and a tail that lasted through the next sip. And at $24 it is very reasonably priced – maybe the best bargain in the area. Since we were hoping to taste an Alexander Valley wine, our courteous reps poured us samples of the 2005 Estate Zinfandel and the 2004 Estate Reserve. BTW, this is a very relaxed group. They came out to play with our son and were overjoyed when a couple strolled in with their two small dogs. Getting back to wine, the Estate Zinfandel was very smooth – slightly spicy – but smooth. Although it had a full-bodied fruit flavor it was also a bit earthy; another great Zinfandel. White Oak Vineyards & Winery was a great final stop for the day. Great wines, good company, and a fountain to play in.

See the Compass Tours section at Wine-Compass.com for pictures.

California Wine Tour Day 4 - Northern Napa

We started our day by crossing over the mountains for our first wine venture into Napa. We had visited Calistoga the previous evening to see the Old Faithful Geyser and Petrified Forest and to explore the northern Napa area. We came upon Castello di Amorosa - an immense castle hidden from St. Helena Highway. The Open sign was still displayed on the highway at 7:00 PM – so we ventured in, only to see the castle closed. Our son was excited for the chance to tour a “real” castle so the next morning we headed out early – knowing we had an appointment back in Sonoma that afternoon. After crossing the draw bridge, his and our excitement quickly faded into bewilderment when we were informed that children were not allowed on the premises. “What, you got to be kidding.” “Nope” was the reply.

So we headed almost directly across Route 128 for the best next thing: a tram ride up to Sterling Vineyards. And our greeting would be the complete opposite. Sterling Vineyards was founded in 1964, a good year, by Peter Newton who was one of the first to plant Merlot and Chardonnay in large quantities in Napa. The winery was finished 8 years later, 300 feet above ground and painted entirely white to mimic the buildings in the Greek island of Mykonos. So that workers and visited didn’t have to “climb” to the hilltop, a tram was installed – which shuttles visitors and workers continuously to the top. In the late 1970’s the winery moved from a family enterprise into the corporate realm with Coca Cola purchasing Sterling, then to Seagram a few years later and eventually to Seagram’s parent Diageo. But even with this corporate ownership – the winery still maintains a family environment.

When we arrived at the tram entrance we found that other families had gotten the hint – and that the tram was expensive: $20 per adult. That explains the $5 discounts we saw advertised in several brochures. Fortunately the long line moved quickly and our son’s excitement – particularly when informed we would have to return on the tram as well. The $20 ticket also included a tasting of 5 wines and a self guided tour of the facilities. What’s nice about the tour is that you can set your own pace – we hurried through – and Sterling had positioned stations at the beginning and end of the tour to taste wines. They start with the Cellar Club Pinot Gris and end with the Cellar Club Viognier. The last was very good – a good representative of the few Viogniers we encountered in California. The remaining three wines are poured on a veranda overlooking the picturesque Napa countryside. Immediately after we sat down a representative arrived with a juice box and coloring book for our boy. This reception may explain the couple play-groups in line ahead of us. We receive a pour of their Cellar Club Syrah. The day was already scorching so it was not a good environment to assess this red wine and the Rutherford Cabernet that followed. However, the Cellar Club Malvasia Bianca nailed it. Sterling is one of a few wineries to vinify this Italian variety and they make it off dry. It is a delicious wine, if one can be described as such – with refreshing acidity and a honey\nut flavor. If we didn’t have to move on – we would have kicked back with a bottle. Instead we had to move on to our next visit in order to stay on schedule.

A Sterling Vineyard tram operator had recommended that before leaving the Calistoga area we needed to visit the Chateau Montelena Winery in order to view the Chinese inspired gardens. Perfect for a Kung Fu Panda obsessed youth. The winery was already on our list to visit since it was recorded as one of America’s top 40 wineries in the Paul Lukacs book "The Great Wines of America: The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages" and produced one of the wines that won best overall wine at the famed 1976 Paris Wine Competition. The one that gave Napa wines an international reputation and forever raised the price of California wine. We decided we had a short amount of time to spare so we raced ahead.

From the driveway, there did not appear to be anything impressive about the Chateau. The tasting room entrance looked like a one story building with the only semblance of a Chinese garden being a small Koi pond at the entrance. Looks are deceiving. We ventured around back to see that the section viewed from the front was actually the top of the structure, with the rest hidden below a slope. Quite an impressive building. A little further along the gardens exposed themselves with ornamental bridges and an array of water life: swans, ducks, turtles, and even a crayfish. The winery even stocks bread for visitors to feed the water fowl. Half our team stayed behind to feed the animals while the remaining ventured inside.

Chateau Montelena was founded in the late 1880’s when Alfred L. Tubbs purchased land he thought suitable for vineyards at the base of Mount Saint Helena. Over the next decade he tended the grapes, built the chateau, and hired a French winemaker and opened in 1896, operating as a truncated form of the neighboring mountain: Chateau Montelena. By Prohibition the winery was one of Napa’s largest producers, but production ceased entirely as the Temperates gained power. The Tubbs family continued to tend the vines and sold the grapes to home winemakers and other wineries with the repeal of Prohibition – but eventually sold the estate to Yort and Jeanie Frank. The Franks excavated Jade Lake as part of creating a remote retirement sanctuary. Eventually James Barrett led a team that cleared and replanted the overgrown vineyard and in 1972 wine production resumed at Chateau Montelena. Four years later the winery was a member of the contingent of California wineries to send wine for a grand tasting at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Paris. Six California Chardonnays competed against 4 white Burgundies in a blind tasting by French officials. You can read here how these officials rated the Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay above all the other wines. The strength of the winery is also displayed in the fact that it was their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, not the Chardonnay that Lukacs featured in his book.

The tasting room was already crowded early on this Thursday afternoon – with many visitors travelling from San Jose to start their day at the Chateau. The winery’s history and achievements are on display so venture down the hall to receive a more complete history of the operation. Fortunately for our time allotment, the winery was pouring only a handful of wines and we opened with the famed Napa Valley Chardonnay. The wine is made without malolactic fermentation since there is no need to soften the wine. It is more fruity than earthy with a lemon-honey feel. This was an instant favorite. The winery recommends aging for a more mineral feel – it you have the patience. We like the wine as is. The other white was the Potter Valley Riesling and this was a good representative of the variety. In fact, it may have been the only Riesling we tasted on the trip so it was nice to find one of our favorite varietal wines. It had the characteristic Riesling flavor with a refreshing acidic finish. Perfect for a hot day like today. He first red we tasted was the Estate Zinfandel, a medium – full bodied wine full of black fruit. This wine was actually earthy and with low tannins – extremely smooth. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was more full-bodied with black cherry flavors and actually less spicy than the already smooth Zinfandel. This is another wine that they recommend aging. The last wine was the famed Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and this is a dense wine – almost like chewing plums or black cherries. The finish is a smidgen spicy with low tannins for such a big wine. At this price, $125, we don’t often find the opportunity to sample this caliber of wine – but it is truly one of the best cabs we’ve tasted. No wonder the consistent 93-94 ratings.

Chateau Montelena Winery is a must visit for any visitor to northern Napa. The wines are truly outstanding and allocate enough time to explore the Chinese gardens. Thanks again to Castello di Amorosa for not allowing children; otherwise we may have missed this gem.

See the Compass Tours section at Wine-Compass.com for pictures.