Greetings from beautiful Wine Country
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Wine Country Touring TrendsIt’s not your parents’ wine tasting tour anymore. Winery hospitality managers are keen to focus on what people want these days – experiences! From wine blending seminars to culinary programs to incredible food & wine pairings, new programs are rolling out by the week here in Wine Country. We talked with some of the top local experts for their take on the trends for the Summer and Fall seasons in 2009. Tasting NotesNAPA VALLEYSilverado Vineyards continues to surprise us with their special tasting and hospitality programs and now they may be changing ty event that has long been in desperate demand – the late afternoon or early evening tasting. In June (date TBD), on Friday’s only, Silverado will launch their Sunset pairings on the private terrace over-looking one of the most spectacular western facing views in all of the Napa Valley. From 5:30PM to 8:00PM, guests will be served four wines; three will be paired with appetizers. So now you have something incredible to try just before you head for dinner. Cost is $35/person. In addition, they have resumed the Saddle Block Tour, seven days a week, where visitors are taken deep into the Disney vineyard, far away from the crowds. You’re given a viticultural tour followed by a wine sampling from that vineyard right out of the barrel. You'll then have a selection of Silverado Cabernets and seasonal appetizers. Cost is $75/person. The Single Vineyard Private Tasting with its food & wine pairing should resume soon. As always, call for availability and reservations. Grgich Hills Estate has opened its Wine Library for tastings by appointment. It’s a sit down sampling of “special selection” wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville Selection, Chardonnay, Carneros Selection, Mijenko’s Old Vine Zinfandel, their first Petite Sirah, and Essense, Estate Grown, Napa. These wines are not found outside of the winery. Cost for a flight of three wines is $30; five wines for $50. And they will do private parties for groups of up to sixteen. Kuleto Estate Family Vineyards has resumed hosting group events after suspending the hospitality program last year. It’s great news for food & wine lovers with Chef Janelle Weaver taking full advantage of the gardens, fruit and olive orchards of Pat Kuleto’s beautiful 1,500 ft mountain estate east of Lake Hennessy and the Silverado Trail. Chef Weaver has moved away from the food & wine pairings that were on a test trial at the beginning of the year and now is looking at a variety of luncheon and dinner styles for smaller groups as well as larger parties. Events are subject to availability and Chef Weaver suggests a call for special pricing for the specific day of the culinary event. Hagen Heights, an ultra-boutique cabernet sauvignon producer in Napa, (only five hundred cases a year) has opened its doors for a tasting of cabernet flights paired with local artisan cheeses. Well-known marketer Sandra Rogers will conduct the tastings in the estate house owned by D.J. and Diane Smith. We strongly recommend only Cabernet collectors or enthusiasts spend their time here. You’ll sample three vintages, the 2004, 2005, and 2006. Cost of the tasting is $35; wines are priced at about $75. We were impressed with the appellation tasting at Nickel & Nickel, just off Highway 29 in Oakville. After a greeting in the living room of the renovated 1880’s home of John C. Sullenger, you’ll be treated a tour of the Napa Valley without leaving your seat. In addition to one of their elegant Chardonnay’s poured upon your arrival, four glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon are poured from different appellations. Cost is $40/person. Gargiulo Estates in Oakville has amped up its event program with a series of luncheons and “Sunday Sessions” with owner Jeff Gargiulo. Each lunch is prepared around fresh, seasonal ingredients and serves the winery’s current release plus one estate wine. The first luncheon is May 15th. Cost is $75/person. The “Sunday Sessions” are mini-concerts with Jeff and friends. The winery will offer burgers, sausages, and summer wine at their beautiful setting in Oakville just west of the Silverado Trail. Cost is $50/person. The first Sunday session is May 3rd. SONOMA COUNTYComedian Tommy Smothers, who has been involved in the winemaking industry for many, many years changed the name of his winery. The wines have been renamed in memory of his Grand father Ed Remick. Granddad would take young Tommy on trips around the Sonoma Valley. They dreamed some day that a particular patch of land would make a wonderful vineyard. Indeed, that land now produces Tommy’s wine. Concerned that his wines might not be taken seriously, Smothers wanted a different name – Remick Ridge Vineyards. “I thought there was always a chance people would think of the wine as they might think of the Milton Berle Winery or Mo, Larry and Curly Vineyards,” he wrote. We might suggest too - Joan Rivers’ Balsamic. Remick Ridge Vineyards is poured in the Adler Fels tasting room in Kenwood, CA. BR Cohn has introduced a substantial cheese and wine pairing with artisan Sonoma County cheeses and a flight of matching wines. In the newly redecorated original tasting room on Olive Hill, the pairings have launched with near immediate popularity so we recommend reservations for a Saturday or Sunday at 11:00AM or 3:00PM. You’ll taste a (double pour) flight of four wines, each paired with its own cheese and finished off with a Cabernet Port matched with chocolate. Cost: $25/person BR Cohn can arrange these special pairings for larger groups at customized times. Thomas George Estates in the Russian River District has opened its tasting room doors at the newly remodeled site of the historic Davis Bynum winery. At 8075 Westside Road they have big plans for a wine cave, events, dinners, lunches, and other hospitality programs. Thomas George, owned by Jeremy Baker will focus on small lot production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Price points will range from $27 to $55. Paradise Ridge has opened a new tasting room in Kenwood (8860 Sonoma Highway), expanding its boundaries beyond its winery and gorgeous hilltop venue atop Fountain Grove in Santa Rosa. The winery is known for its Russian River wines and is one of only six wineries to select grapes from the tiny Rockpile appellation in Sonoma County. We generally do not make wine recommendations in this newsletter but we do highly recommend you try their Sparkling Shiraz. The Kenwood facility also features a sensory workshop, too – if you’d like to test the quality of your “sniffer”. Paradise Ridge, Santa Rosa has resumed its highly successful Wines & Sunsets program on Wednesday evenings through October. Guests may bring a picnic to the 160-acre hilltop location over-looking the Santa Rosa plain at 4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive. While the tasting room is closed during this program from 6:00PM to Sunset, wines are sold by the glass or th e bottle. Celebrating their 30th anniversary of winemaking in Sonoma County, Adler Fels has opened a new tasting room in Kenwood at the Warm Springs junction. With a 10,000 annual case production, Adler Fels is considered a value wine with price points from $15 to $25. The winery is known for its Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes, they will pour their Big Ass wines too (correct!) along with Leaping Lizard. To our surprise, a good friend and one of the best in the business, Steve Hare is managing the tasting room. We can guarantee you a fun tasting. SPECIAL WINERY & REGIONAL EVENTSApril 25, Saturday and April 26, Sunday: Passport to Dry Creek Valley is an annual event showcasing the wineries, vineyards and exceptional beauty of Dry Creek Valley. There are over 62 wineries and 150 growers producing a variety of wines to please any palate. Visit www.wdcv.com for details. May 2nd, Saturday: Renowned winemaker Ed Sbragia is hosting a dinner at his own winery, Sbragia Family Vineyards at 5:00PM, 9990 Dry Creek Road. The winery has several outstanding vintages including a Howell Mountain Cabernet. It is one of the most scenic locations in all of Wine Country. The multi-course dinner will be beautifully paired with Sbragia wines. Cost for non-club members is $180/person. Attire is semi-formal. May 3rd, Sunday: Hagen Heights will be one of seven stops on the UC Davis Master Gardner Tour of the Napa Valley. May 2nd, Saturday and May 3rd, Sunday May 16th, Saturday and May 17th, Sunday |
Pam Personette's Tasting Room of the Month: VJB Vineyards & CellarsWine Country hospitality consultant Pamela Personette visits VJB Vineyards & Cellars in Kenwood, Sonoma Valley, CA. VJB is a boutique winery producing only 4,000 cases a year of both California and robust Italian style wines. In Pam’s feature, learn more bout VJB’s warmth and style and view photos of both the tasting room and the private estate venue for tastings, luncheons, and fantastic dinners. VJB Vineyards & Cellars - Artisan Wine ToursVJB Vineyards & Cellars: warmth and style in KenwoodBy Pamela Personette Read More
Artisan Wine Tours
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