Hourglass Winery: Time Well Spent
Just recently I caught an article about the best caves in Napa Valley. The very first picture was of the cave at Hourglass Winery. “I’ve been there and have the same picture!” (That picture is below.) Yet that was not the purpose of the visit, it was for the wine. While the beauty of the valley is breathtaking, the wine, in my opinion, is a good part of the heart and soul of it. The winemaker of Hourglass is Tony Biagi, who continues to produce lovely, svelte wine of all varieties.
Access and arrival to the tasting is a bit scarred. The Glass Fire in 2020 had an impact on the production site, so the great beauty lies underground. Met by Marie outside, we had the pleasure to enter the cave and were seated in what you see below. It was a serene and quiet space where the wine itself spoke volumes. Our hostess took us through the wines, starting with the Sauvignon Blanc and progressing through the lovely reds. The standouts were the plush and velvety reds that make a bold statement of “Drink me!” Yes, each sip of the Cabernet called out for more; and this is a label I would highly recommend. The tasting included Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet as single varietal wines. Each was done with finesse and smoothness that is a calling card of the winemaker.
Wayfarer Pinot Noir — The Road to Take!
I recently opened a Pinot Noir that literally stopped me in my tracks. The sweet fruit aromas wafted from the glass and the flavors sailed on through the finish. The aromas and flavors were so compelling that it truly deserved my full attention. The finish sailed on for over a minute and left me really wanting more. It was truly beautiful. This Pinot Noir was a standout.
Wayfarer Vineyards is the baby of Jayson Pahlmeyer who truly has a passion for Burgundian wines. The vineyard itself was brought to Jayson’s attention by Helen Turley and planted by David Abreu. It is located in the Sonoma Coast hills less than five miles from the ocean and bears some gorgeous fruit. The proprietor of the winery now is Cleo Pahlmeyer, Jayson’s daughter.
Rivers-Marie: First Class Wine and Service
Located in the quaint town of Calistoga, Rivers-Marie is a must visit. That is a bold statement yet the wine, the tasting room and the staff are all worthy of that. First and foremost, this is the home of Thomas Rivers Brown’s personal label. He is one of the most highly regarded winemakers in the valley. His credits are wines such as Outpost, Schrader, Maybach, Mending Wall, Pulido-Walker, Hestan, and so on. He has twenty-five 100 point scores for the Cabernets he has crafted and, simply put, that is a record in the valley. All this alone should lead you to taste his personal label wines that do not disappoint.
Secondly, the staff that support this winery are top notch. They are professional, learned and talented. The space is open and expansive as you sit in a wide open space with glass doors at both ends of the tasting room. You can see out to the back which is a private farm (in process of updates). There is a live wall which brings nature in, and all is done in very comfortable seating.
Veraison: What Is That?
Veraison is a pivotal time in the vineyard. It is when the grapes change color and rapidly begin to store sugar. The time is notable, as it is a predictor of harvest. The time for each varietal is variable, yet you can look forward to harvest some 40 to 60 days from veraison.
Veraison itself means “change of color of the grape berries.” For red grapes, it is most obvious when the young green grapes become a red hue. White grapes also change in appearance, they remain green yet become translucent or golden. It never happens all at once for a bunch as you will see in the pictures. (The vineyard in the photos is a cabernet vineyard.) The grapes change color at varying times on the same bunch on the same vine.
The Paring: A Quality Wine for $25 per Bottle
Many people equate quality with price. While it may be a fair assumption sometimes, it does not hold up under all circumstances. In fact, one quest for wine enjoyers could be to find the best wine for the best price. Price, for many, is a hurdle that gets in the way of enjoying many different wines.
Herein lies the opportunity: The Paring is a well-crafted, modestly priced wine to enjoy anytime. The vineyards are located in Santa Ynez in Santa Barbara County. The winemaker is Matt Dees who skillfully makes JONATA, The Hilt, and The Paring. (For my Midwest friends, he is from MO.) This property is a “sister” to Screaming Eagle as both wineries are owned by the same individual. Matt brings great skill to his craft and delivers on quality. I have enjoyed wines from all three labels for which he is the winemaker and have written about all three labels on the blog before (here, here, and here). The price and quality of The Paring bear repeating.
Pride Mountain Vineyards: A Gem on Spring Mountain
Pride Mountain Vineyards is a beautiful winery that delivers on great flavor and texture in your glass. Pride is located at 2000 feet high in the Mayacamas Mountains which separate Napa from Sonoma. Uniquely, the winery and the vineyards are located in both counties – in fact the county line runs through the vines and the caves.
This is a gorgeous place to visit. The winery was established in 1991 and the property has evolved since then. Originally, it was solely the vineyards; and today you can enjoy a beautifully situated tasting room and patio with a wide expanse of vines in sight. The wine caves have been an integral part of the hospitality tours and have yet to reopen since COVID. Visits, of course, are by appointment and there are various options to choose from before you get there. Today, you may still even set up a virtual visit after purchasing some wine through the winery.
Wine: How Do I Choose??
This is a simple question, yet the answer can be very complex. In surveys, the number one reason people do not drink wine is that they find it too hard to choose which one to buy. It is a big question, no doubt. Just recently I read a blog that listed the number of different bottles of wine available to buy in the world at any point in time, and it totaled a million. Whoa, that is a big number to sort through. I fully appreciate the challenge.
Wine itself is not a single note expression like cola. When you pick up a bottle of Coca Cola or Pepsi, there is a specific flavor profile that is expected. The degree to which that expectation is met is tied to customer satisfaction and repeat sales. So, for a manufacturer to deliver, they must adhere to a specific process to replicate the product’s profile, time after time.
Leviathan: Find It at a Great Price — $34!
Leviathan is a red blend made by Andy Erickson. He is a wonderful winemaker whose résumé includes Staglin, Screaming Eagle, Alpha Omega, and his current personal label Favia. He is one of the most sought after consultants in Napa Valley. Search his name, and you will be impressed with the wineries where he has had a hand in making the wine.
Leviathan 2018 is a red blend that consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Franc. It is accessible when you open the bottle yet shows more robustly with decanting. You will get aromas and flavors of boysenberry, black cherry, and plum. The grapes are harvested from various vineyards in the area and come together in a rich harmony.
Whose Fault Is It, Anyway??
We all know that taste is 80% smell. You still remember the day you had a stuffy nose and nothing tasted good. You couldn’t taste much at all. So, what is it when the aromas and flavors are off in a wine?? What does that mean?? Is it the wine’s fault, a bad bottle, or something else? That is the question.
Here is the first rule of thumb in drinking wine. Yes, it is a rule. Before you pour that wine, smell the glass. I mean that emphatically. Today’s dishwashers are wonderful, yet they recycle water. I have many times been put off by the stinky odors in a clean glass that was washed in the dishwasher. It is a simple fix. If you get anything other than a neutral aroma, simply rinse the glass with water. Dry it with a towel specifically for crystal, if that is what you are using, to avoid scratching the glass. Once that glass is neutral, then you can pour.
Chenin Blanc: A Great Find in Napa Valley!
In my studies, I had read about the beauty of this varietal. It is very versatile as it is used in still wines, sparkling wines, dry wines, and sweet wines. It is diverse in its growing areas from Europe to South Africa. It is in fact the most grown white grape in South Africa where it is sometimes called Steen. The home of this grape is thought to be the Loire Valley of France, and it has been called the “most cerebral wine” when crafted in the appellation of Savennieres located in the Loire. I did not expect to find it as a dry white wine from Napa Valley!
The wine I’m talking about is a beauty crafted by Sean Capiaux and made into 100% Chenin Blanc under the label of TBD Wine (more to come about the label). He found the vineyard of 60-year old Chenin Blanc in Pope Valley. The wine was hand-harvested and whole cluster pressed. He fermented it in concrete and one French barrel. The wine saw no malolactic fermentation which allowed the wine to retain its natural acidity. This is a wonderful wine that is sleek and smooth on the palate with green apple, citrus, and hints of honey.