B Cellars: Blending for Excellence in Calistoga
High up on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, just before you get to Calistoga, there is a small winery named B Cellars. It is a young enterprise (started in 2003) yet is quickly garnering a reputation. I was curious. I had never had their wines, but it piqued my interest based on a rating that I had read on one of the wines. The obvious path was to set an appointment.
That day, I was very surprised to step into a clean and modern, yet cabin-like tasting room. Check out the pictures of the interior. It was very nice. There was a porch area where guests can do their tastings. As we stood at the bar to start our tasting, we enjoyed a white blend. To my knowledge, there are not a lot of white blends, yet that is the signature of B Cellars — to produce great wines with depth of flavor by blending varietals and wine lots to achieve quality wines during each vintage. I was impressed by the blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, with each varietal imparting different flavors and delivering balance. It was very nice; and, of course, I had to purchase some for home.
Turley Wine Cellars: A $22 Zinfandel and Now Open in Amador County!
My first experience with Zinfandel left me wanting a cabernet. Many I tried were very single dimension, high alcohol with little depth. I never had much appreciation for prunes, and many were reminiscent of that flavor profile. That is until I met Turley. Smooth, rich and easy drinking with more complex flavors – my Zin relationship changed for good, and I wanted to have more.
Larry Turley founded Turley Wine Cellars in 1993. Turley produces terroir-driven single vineyard Zinfandels & Petite Syrahs from some of the oldest and most historic vineyards in California. Each terroir lends its own character to the wines, and they are given separate labels according to the location of each vineyard. With the purchase of Karly in Plymouth, CA, the vineyards are now located in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Lodi, Howell Mountain, Contra Costa, and Amador. In fact, at last count, there were 26 vineyard-specific Zinfandels to enjoy.
Seavey Vineyard: Tucked Away and Worth the Drive
Picturesque views, mountainsides and vines, Seavey Vineyard is tucked out of the way and well worth the time to journey to Conn Valley to visit. The wines are the main event with great structure and a minerality that runs through the line-up. This is red territory, so there is not a white to be found — just be prepared for well-crafted wine that will age very gracefully. I opened their 2007 Cabernet a while ago; and, quite frankly, it knocked my socks off. Smooth, rich and complex, it was a delight to drink. I had to go back again to explore more.
“Went to a Garden Party” — No Ricky Nelson, but Great Wine at Spottswoode!
The story behind Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery tells the story of a remarkable journey, to say the least. It’s a world-class winery as the result of dedication, drive, and hard work. Mary Novak is worthy of anyone’s respect given the challenges she faced to bring this vineyard and winery to fruition, making it one of the most notable names in the Valley. Having moved to Napa in the early ‘70s with her husband, just five years later, she found herself facing the future alone with five children to raise. Shortly after the start of their journey together in the valley, her husband Jack suddenly passed. Her decision was to stay, raise her family in St. Helena, and build the winery. And we are all glad she did.
Last year, Mary and her family celebrated their 30/40 anniversary — forty years since they arrived to restore the property and thirty years since their first wine, a cabernet sauvignon, was produced. This winery has developed a fine history of accomplishment.
It’s Time for a Blind Wine Tasting Party!
If you’ve never hosted or attended a blind wine tasting party, it’s time! We’ve done this several times over the years, and we attended an excellent one this past Saturday night.
What is a blind wine tasting party? It can really be done in many different ways, with the common theme being that the guests are tasting and comparing different wines without knowing what they’re tasting.
A Visit to Jericho Canyon in Calistoga
I was first introduced to Jericho Canyon Vineyard many years ago when another winemaker bought grapes from this area to make Ramey Jericho Canyon. That was a big, muscular cabernet with structure, loamy tannins, and deep rich fruit which would cellar for a long time. My recent visit was an opportunity to rediscover Jericho Canyon Vineyards and taste the wine that the owners of Jericho Canyon now make and bottle under their own name. The wines still have those same great qualities and characteristics that I remember.
Jericho Canyon Vineyard is family owned, and the owners take great pride in honoring the land as they craft their wines. The founders and proprietors are Marla and Dale Bleecher. The property is sustainably farmed and certified Napa Green Land and Winery. It is nestled between the Palisades and Mt. St. Helena off of highway 128 in Calistoga. The vineyards sit at elevations between 200 and 1000 feet, and there are 40 acres under vine.
Wine and Food: Ideas from Shafer Vineyards
Shafer Vineyards is a winery that has become one of the icons in Napa Valley. John Shafer started this vineyard in 1972 and crushed his first cabernet in 1978. Robert Parker has called this winery one of the “10 best wineries in the world.” They produce quality-crafted, well-structured wine regardless of the vintage, and the wines are enjoyable no matter what varietal you prefer. Shafer produces Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet. I have enjoyed all Shafer wines — they never disappoint! Their cabernets are delicious and approachable, often when they’re both young and well-aged. Their “1.5” cabernet is a great wine for any special dinner. The Shafer Hillside Select is one of the most highly sought after wines. As a matter of fact, it drew the highest bid at this past year’s Napa Valley Auction. Last year, their 2008 Syrah, titled “Relentless” (and named for Elias the wine maker and his pursuit of excellence), was named the #1 wine of the year by Wine Spectator.
This winery routinely shares great information through their website and their newsletters to their mailing list. This next piece is one I wanted to share with you since it is about pairing wines with food in a way that makes everything taste better! Here it is — reprinted with the permission of Shafer Vineyards…
What does “Winery Direct” Mean?
Reading the paper this morning, I came across an ad that I needed to comment on. The ad was included in an advertisement for a large wine retail store, and it advertised “Winery Direct” as a sale. What does this mean to you and me? Well, let me first explain wine distribution in the United States.
Predominately, wine goes through a three-tier system on its way to a retail outlet. First, the winery ships to brokers or distributors, and then it moves to retail shelves. As it should, each step in the process adds cost. The broker needs to charge for storage and sales costs, and the retail outlet must do the same. This process exists to allow for large-scale distribution of wines. This is the avenue for many wines to make their way across the United States for all to enjoy – not just those who visit the area where the winery is located.
Wine Headache??
Many times I am told, “Red wine gives me a headache. I must be allergic to …” You fill in the blank. Some folks think it’s sulfites, and others think it’s tannins. Well…there may be some science behind the thoughts.
What components of wine might be causing the adverse reaction? Wine is a complex mix of chemicals, which makes it difficult to answer. There are two major components, which may be responsible: sulfites and histamines. Sulfites are present in all wines but at varying degrees. Sulfer is used in the vineyard, and it’s also used for hygiene reasons with the bottles and added as a preservative after the bottle is filled. Sulfer is also a natural by-product of fermentation. You will see on the label that the wine contains sulfites. This leads many people to conclude, often falsely, that the sulfites are the culprit behind the headaches. Sulfites are actually more apt to produce an asthma attack rather than a headache.
Two More Stops in Santa Barbara
Wineries of the middle and southern Central Coast of California are mostly casual visits and offer a very down to earth experience. Many are small family operations with simple tasting rooms. This may well be attributable to the late development of wineries in the area. It was not until the 1980s that viticulture took off here. In 1970, there were only 171 acres of grapes in Santa Barbara County. By 1998, there were 16,500 acres generating great revenue.
Last week, I talked about our visit to Jonata. During our day of wine tasting, we also visited Stolpman Vineyards and Beckmen Vineyards. Both are examples of family wineries making a mark in the Santa Barbara area.