Favia: A Perfect Blend
Favia Wines is a marriage that sings beautifully. This winery is the work of husband and wife team Andy Erickson and Annie Favia, and it is a pairing that works extremely well.
Just recently, I had the chance to visit and taste the current releases from Favia. I had discovered their wine back with the 2006 vintage. My first introduction was the Cerro Sur Red Wine. This is a blend of predominately Cab Franc and Cabernet. (The Cerro Sur is a blend – for a wine to be characterized as a certain varietal, it must contain at least 75% of that grape.) I am a big fan of Cab Franc, and this one was done splendidly. I was hooked.
Biale’s Black Chicken: This Bird Can Party!
Zinfandel can be many things; yet, for me, it was once a little known varietal. I did not appreciate its multitude of expressions. Well, that was before Biale’s Black Chicken. I remember the bottle and that vintage where I first met this party animal, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
It was the 2004 Biale Black Chicken. Previously, I had dismissed Zinfandel as a big fruity wine with a single note. It all changed when I met this bird. It was amazingly fresh; there was depth of flavor and a degree of complexity and richness I had not discovered before in this varietal. I kept buying it vintage after vintage and sharing the gem with my friends. Trust me, I sold a lot of this wine – no commission – just the pleasure of knowing my friends were enjoying a great wine with a modest price.
Go with “Pride”
This past Sunday, we enjoyed a ride up the mountain to tour and taste at Pride Mountain Vineyards. This famous winery is located atop Spring Mountain and provides glorious views of Mount St. Helena and the Mayacamas Range. The expanse of vines provides picture perfect scenery for the photographer in you. Many times I have visited and never tire of the beauty of the setting.
While I am doing my best to explore the 500 wineries in Napa County and almost 450 in Sonoma County (yes, that is a lot), there is one winery I always seem to come back to — and that is Pride Mountain Vineyards. It is the winery I have the longest history with and always enjoy visiting. The people are gracious, the views are lovely and the wine – oh, yes, the wine is quite pleasurable to drink.
Hot Summer — Cool, Refreshing White Wine!
The forecast for the West Coast is hotter than usual. By now, that is no surprise for many who live here. The thermometer has been over 100 degrees in Sacramento several days this summer, and it is only July. Hot daytime temperatures make us all a little thirsty. A great, refreshing white to “pound on down on the patio” is Pinot Grigio, as the Italians call it. It is also known as Pinot Gris in other parts of the world. In fact, this little grape is produced all around the world and has many different titles depending on whether you are in France, Germany, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or Australia. This is a lovely white wine that hails from around the world.
The Pinot Grigio I’d like to tell you about today is grown in Napa. It’s lightly honeyed, with a hint of spice and minerality. It’s darn good and refreshing! It is the perfect apéritif to start the evening and set up the palate for dinner or simply to enjoy in the afternoon with no food at all. I unfortunately have drunk all that we bought and must go back for more.
Just in the “Nick” of Time…
One of the beauties of wine is that the landscape is ever-changing. While great wineries are like the old standards of music, there are new iterations and ideas always finding their way into the refrain. New winemakers and new views are a part of the evolution of the wine scene. Being able to discover an “up and coming” winery and watch it grow into the market is part of the fun of the journey of wine.
One such winery that is on the rise is Nicora in Paso Robles. The winemaker and principal is Nick Elliott. Upon our last visit to Paso Robles, we were able to taste with Nick and learn about him, the winery and his wines. This is an appointment-only setting. The location for the tasting room is industrial, yet the setting inside is pleasant with comfortable seating around a large table. This is a great experience to sit, chat and taste through the wines with the gentleman who handcrafted each bottle. This was truly a pleasurable and refreshing journey.
Herman Story: The Rest of the “Story”…
Last week, I shared about our recent visit to Herman Story Wines in Paso Robles. In response to that post, a couple people asked for more information about the wines themselves. Well, here’s the rest of the “Story”!
Syrah is one of my favorite grapes and provides very different aromas and flavors, depending on the region it is from and the clone. It is grown in France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Italy, and, of course, California. Syrah is blended with many other varietals and is a great stand-alone wine.
Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga, CA: Visit and Enjoy!
When one thinks of Napa Valley and wine tasting, one often pictures a bucolic setting, sipping, and relaxing. The experience at Larkmead Vineyards is a great example of just that. This winery is located in Calistoga, which is in the north end of the valley. The setting is beautiful, situated on the valley floor and surrounded by vineyards.
The facility itself is an artistic expression of architecture. This is a Howard Backen project, one of the many wineries and restaurants he has designed in the valley. Tastings are done on the porch or on the patio and lend themselves to really relaxing and enjoying the wine and the scenery. Speaking of the scenery, the drought-tolerant landscaping, which incorporates many native plants, is also beautiful.
Keever Vineyards: A Nice Visit and a Great Wine in Yountville
I have heard that the single best way to distinguish a well-crafted wine is that it beckons you back for another sip. Therein lies the “problem” with discovering that caliber of wine – you want to drink it! And darn it, there goes that desire to accomplish productive tasks right out the window!
This past weekend, I enjoyed one of those wines at Keever Vineyards located in Yountville, CA in the Napa Valley. Keever is a family-owned winery that produces cabernet from six acres of vineyards right there at the estate. This is a small production winery that takes pride and care in each step of the process. The winemaker is Celia Welch who is one of my favorite winemakers in Napa Valley. She delivers quality with all that she touches.
Vintner’s Collective in Napa — A Must Visit!
One of the challenges when visiting Napa is deciding what wineries to visit for a tasting. According to the Napa Valley Vintners website, there are nearly 500 wineries in the valley. This is a massive challenge to sort through. (Trust me though, I am working on it!) Not all wineries are open to the public to visit. Based on production, demand, overhead, and winery licenses, the ability to visit is subject to restrictions. Building and hosting a tasting room adds costs that many cannot afford.
There are actually four categories that wineries fit into. Here are the first three: 1) Open to the public — these tastings are predominately at a walk-in bar with a price for a flight of wines; 2) By appointment only — these experiences range from a sit-down with a flight of wines and a host all the way to a cave tour and/or a tasting with food; 3) Not open at all to the public — these are usually highly allocated wines at wineries that have no interest in providing tastings or wineries that have too small a production or are too young to afford hosting the public.
Fortunately, there is a fourth category of tasting experience, which is a setting where wineries group together to share their wines with the public. That is where Vintner’s Collective in downtown Napa shines.
Kelly Fleming Wines: A Calistoga Gem
Just a short drive off the Silverado Trail near Calistoga, California, you will find Kelly Fleming Winery. It is a gorgeous setting, and the property itself includes almost 300 acres. Only 12 acres are planted to vines, and they are all cabernet sauvignon. The flagship wine from this winery is a deep, rich, and graceful cabernet that in 2010 alone garnered a 95-point rating from The Wine Advocate. Antonio Galloni’s review of this wine is included for you below.
On this day in winter, we drove up Pickett Road – no more than 5 minutes from the Silverado Trail – and found a beautiful setting in one of the canyons of Calistoga. The architecture of the winery is gracefully done in stone. It is beautiful elegance. The building sits back among the vines and provides a peaceful setting. Lili Shariati, our hostess for the visit, provided us with the history of the property and a perspective of the winery philosophy. She was well informed and engaging making for a very pleasurable experience.