Sonoma and Napa Valleys, in 4 parts
Jun 25th, 2013, 09:05 PM
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Sonoma and Napa Valleys, in 4 parts
Part 1
Having had a terrific time in Healdsburg and the Sonoma Valley last year, we couldn’t wait to return and broaden our explorations a bit, and so we did, in the second week of May.
We landed at SFO after dragging ourselves through the enormous thorny hedge that is air travel today and picked up a rental car, receiving a free upgrade to a small SUV, the Ford Edge. Not great for gas mileage, of course, but excellent for hauling cases of wine, we realized with glee, and it had one unforeseen nice feature: Bluetooth Sync with our iPhones, which meant we could use Google Maps’ turn-by-turn voice instructions with ease. Nice!
I also learned how to deal with the Golden Gate Bridge tolls now that all toll booths are unmanned. Instead of paying daily for the transponder in the car when were only going to need it once, we used this website to prepay:
ww.bayareafastrak.org
I did it on my phone in the car, entering the car’s license plate number and my CC information. You can also use this to pay AFTER you cross, so if you don’t have a smartphone you can handle it later.
On our way to Healdsburg we stopped in Petaluma to visit Lagunitas Brewery and Tap Room.
http://lagunitas.com
The beer garden is just delightful: kids, dogs, peeps of all ages, a good band, excellent servers and, of course, outstanding beer. We ordered two tasting flights, one dark and one light, as well as some deadly delicious nachos. A theme began to emerge: why is even the simplest darn thing tastier in CA? Our favorites were the WTF Stout, which we do occasionally see on tap in Florida, and the SF Fusion and Kolsch Etwas, both local only, waaah! Great pit stop, and necessary to restore mental health after air travel.
We then drove on to Healdsburg and checked into the Hotel Healdsburg for our second stay there. I really like this hotel, for its location, for the comfy beds, and for the full included breakfast—more on that later.
http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/home/
We had dinner that night in Healdsburg at Barn Diva. This was not to be our favorite meal of the week, but it was good, and the space, including a very pretty garden, was lovely. The asparagus soup was memorable, and I should note that the chef will prepare a vegetarian entrée to one’s specifications. I ended up with a refined vegetarian lasagna featuring potato puree and fiddlehead ferns, tomato jam, pickled red cabbage and house made pasta.
http://www.barndiva.com
Having had a terrific time in Healdsburg and the Sonoma Valley last year, we couldn’t wait to return and broaden our explorations a bit, and so we did, in the second week of May.
We landed at SFO after dragging ourselves through the enormous thorny hedge that is air travel today and picked up a rental car, receiving a free upgrade to a small SUV, the Ford Edge. Not great for gas mileage, of course, but excellent for hauling cases of wine, we realized with glee, and it had one unforeseen nice feature: Bluetooth Sync with our iPhones, which meant we could use Google Maps’ turn-by-turn voice instructions with ease. Nice!
I also learned how to deal with the Golden Gate Bridge tolls now that all toll booths are unmanned. Instead of paying daily for the transponder in the car when were only going to need it once, we used this website to prepay:
ww.bayareafastrak.org
I did it on my phone in the car, entering the car’s license plate number and my CC information. You can also use this to pay AFTER you cross, so if you don’t have a smartphone you can handle it later.
On our way to Healdsburg we stopped in Petaluma to visit Lagunitas Brewery and Tap Room.
http://lagunitas.com
The beer garden is just delightful: kids, dogs, peeps of all ages, a good band, excellent servers and, of course, outstanding beer. We ordered two tasting flights, one dark and one light, as well as some deadly delicious nachos. A theme began to emerge: why is even the simplest darn thing tastier in CA? Our favorites were the WTF Stout, which we do occasionally see on tap in Florida, and the SF Fusion and Kolsch Etwas, both local only, waaah! Great pit stop, and necessary to restore mental health after air travel.
We then drove on to Healdsburg and checked into the Hotel Healdsburg for our second stay there. I really like this hotel, for its location, for the comfy beds, and for the full included breakfast—more on that later.
http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/home/
We had dinner that night in Healdsburg at Barn Diva. This was not to be our favorite meal of the week, but it was good, and the space, including a very pretty garden, was lovely. The asparagus soup was memorable, and I should note that the chef will prepare a vegetarian entrée to one’s specifications. I ended up with a refined vegetarian lasagna featuring potato puree and fiddlehead ferns, tomato jam, pickled red cabbage and house made pasta.
http://www.barndiva.com
Jun 25th, 2013, 09:06 PM
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Part 2
The next day we attacked the hotel breakfast with a will. Now, I know the Hotel Healdsburg is not inexpensive. But the breakfast will turn your head, I promise: eggs and waffles cooked to order, fresh fruit salad, granola and yogurt, bagels and breads, smoked salmon and tiny little scones and croissants to die for. Plus charming servers who minister to the guests gently, as though they are nurses at a high-end spa for hysterics. “Good morning, miss, I bring you coffee, sit, sit.” Lovely.
Thus fortified, we set out to revisit the Dry Creek Valley AVA, and our favorites there, Unti and Zichichi. Unti’s Italian varietals are notable, but nothing disappoints there, except when they don’t make their brandy-fortified port. There’s a new tasting room that is a big improvement over the old one, but this is not a winery one visits for ambience, but rather for stellar wine at sane prices. Zichichi was sold out of everything, so we paid for our futures and trucked on, to Ridge Lytton Springs. Now, here we were disappointed. I always thought of Ridge as rock-solid reliable, but the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons, tough for everyone, have, IMO, undone them a bit.
We carried on to the Alexander Valley AVA, north of Healdsburg. At venerable Alexander Valley Vineyards, we bought a couple of bottles of their Cyrus Bordeaux blend, and were told not to miss Robert Young Estate, which was a very good suggestion—great chardonnays there, great wine in general. Hawkes was our next stop, for really fine cabernet sauvignon. And we ended our day at Medlock Ames, which grows its own grapes sustainably and devotes a large parcel of its land to a wildlife corridor. And oh yeah, they make good cab and a hearty red blend, too! You gotta love these small producers—they’re the reason we go out there.
Our much-anticipated dinner that night was at Scopa, which we had longed to revisit ever since our last trip. This is a tiny, nine-foot wide restaurant in Healdsburg, on the square, modeled after an Italian bar, serving rustic Italian fare that just sings. Grilled romaine with anchovies, mozzarella en carozza, ravioli with nettles and brown butter, and fusilli with English peas and fava beans, mamma mia, and a perfect, trembling panna cotta to top it all off. On Wednesdays they do a winemaker’s dinner, which is great fun. Reservations essential. http://www.scopahealdsburg.com
The next day we attacked the hotel breakfast with a will. Now, I know the Hotel Healdsburg is not inexpensive. But the breakfast will turn your head, I promise: eggs and waffles cooked to order, fresh fruit salad, granola and yogurt, bagels and breads, smoked salmon and tiny little scones and croissants to die for. Plus charming servers who minister to the guests gently, as though they are nurses at a high-end spa for hysterics. “Good morning, miss, I bring you coffee, sit, sit.” Lovely.
Thus fortified, we set out to revisit the Dry Creek Valley AVA, and our favorites there, Unti and Zichichi. Unti’s Italian varietals are notable, but nothing disappoints there, except when they don’t make their brandy-fortified port. There’s a new tasting room that is a big improvement over the old one, but this is not a winery one visits for ambience, but rather for stellar wine at sane prices. Zichichi was sold out of everything, so we paid for our futures and trucked on, to Ridge Lytton Springs. Now, here we were disappointed. I always thought of Ridge as rock-solid reliable, but the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons, tough for everyone, have, IMO, undone them a bit.
We carried on to the Alexander Valley AVA, north of Healdsburg. At venerable Alexander Valley Vineyards, we bought a couple of bottles of their Cyrus Bordeaux blend, and were told not to miss Robert Young Estate, which was a very good suggestion—great chardonnays there, great wine in general. Hawkes was our next stop, for really fine cabernet sauvignon. And we ended our day at Medlock Ames, which grows its own grapes sustainably and devotes a large parcel of its land to a wildlife corridor. And oh yeah, they make good cab and a hearty red blend, too! You gotta love these small producers—they’re the reason we go out there.
Our much-anticipated dinner that night was at Scopa, which we had longed to revisit ever since our last trip. This is a tiny, nine-foot wide restaurant in Healdsburg, on the square, modeled after an Italian bar, serving rustic Italian fare that just sings. Grilled romaine with anchovies, mozzarella en carozza, ravioli with nettles and brown butter, and fusilli with English peas and fava beans, mamma mia, and a perfect, trembling panna cotta to top it all off. On Wednesdays they do a winemaker’s dinner, which is great fun. Reservations essential. http://www.scopahealdsburg.com
Jun 25th, 2013, 09:06 PM
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Part 3
We started the next day with another lovely breakfast, then visited Hartford Family Winery, one of our favorites in the valley. The chardonnays were particularly gorgeous this time, we thought, but they make excellent pinots and zinfandels as well. Really, it’s an embarrassment of riches out there, so to avoid spending the day drinking and acquiring too much wine, we embarked on a drive west to the coast. Passed through Guerneville, and old logging country along the Russian River, and paused at Stumptown Brewery-what was that I said about drinking too much?? One Old #38 and Bushwacker Wheat later, we felt the Old California charm of the place, which is as simple and as welcoming as can be, especially if weather permits sitting out on the deck under the trees. Keep a sharp eye out for this place, its modest sign is easy to miss, and wouldn’t that be a shame?
We pressed on, due west to Jenner, where the sight of the Russian River meeting the sea, and the rocky coastline, and the beached seals napping in the sun, and the stiff salt wind left us giggling with delight. We meandered around Jenner, then took US 1 south to Bodega Bay, stopping for photo ops at the scenic beaches lining the drive. Now, you may know that Bodega Bay is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed “The Birds”. If you are a fan, you must stop at the Bodega Bay General Store, which has memorabilia for sale and photos of the shoot for perusal, a statue of the great man himself out front, and loads of stuffed birds everywhere. If this is not your cup of tea, know that the store also purveys impeccably fresh oysters and three different kinds of clam chowder, all great, which you can eat at a café table outside feeling grateful there are not crows in your hair.
I can’t say enough about how beautiful and undeveloped the Sonoma Coast is. It’s remote, but as we drove I entertained a fantasy of renting a room at a small inn and spending a week doing nothing but looking at the ocean and drinking wine and eating oysters. Camping, which is not part of my fantasy but may be part of yours, is also possible.
On the way back to Healdsburg we stopped at Dutton Goldfield, which showed us excellent chardonnays and a hearty syrah, and we bought a bottle at Merry Edwards, just down the road. Merry was one of the first, if not the first, women winemakers in the valley, and she is still making gorgeous wine, especially single-vineyard pinots.
Dinner that night was at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, and what can I say but that the food was perfection, as usual, and the cocktails make for a very happy hour, indeed. Baby turnip salad, ahi crudo, wild King salmon, Alaskan halibut, all utterly perfectly executed. It’s not cheap, and it may be a yuppie bastion, but damn, they are killing it undeniably. You can peer through frosted glass at the lab-like kitchen as you dine.
http://www.charliepalmer.com/dry-creek-kitchen
We started the next day with another lovely breakfast, then visited Hartford Family Winery, one of our favorites in the valley. The chardonnays were particularly gorgeous this time, we thought, but they make excellent pinots and zinfandels as well. Really, it’s an embarrassment of riches out there, so to avoid spending the day drinking and acquiring too much wine, we embarked on a drive west to the coast. Passed through Guerneville, and old logging country along the Russian River, and paused at Stumptown Brewery-what was that I said about drinking too much?? One Old #38 and Bushwacker Wheat later, we felt the Old California charm of the place, which is as simple and as welcoming as can be, especially if weather permits sitting out on the deck under the trees. Keep a sharp eye out for this place, its modest sign is easy to miss, and wouldn’t that be a shame?
We pressed on, due west to Jenner, where the sight of the Russian River meeting the sea, and the rocky coastline, and the beached seals napping in the sun, and the stiff salt wind left us giggling with delight. We meandered around Jenner, then took US 1 south to Bodega Bay, stopping for photo ops at the scenic beaches lining the drive. Now, you may know that Bodega Bay is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed “The Birds”. If you are a fan, you must stop at the Bodega Bay General Store, which has memorabilia for sale and photos of the shoot for perusal, a statue of the great man himself out front, and loads of stuffed birds everywhere. If this is not your cup of tea, know that the store also purveys impeccably fresh oysters and three different kinds of clam chowder, all great, which you can eat at a café table outside feeling grateful there are not crows in your hair.
I can’t say enough about how beautiful and undeveloped the Sonoma Coast is. It’s remote, but as we drove I entertained a fantasy of renting a room at a small inn and spending a week doing nothing but looking at the ocean and drinking wine and eating oysters. Camping, which is not part of my fantasy but may be part of yours, is also possible.
On the way back to Healdsburg we stopped at Dutton Goldfield, which showed us excellent chardonnays and a hearty syrah, and we bought a bottle at Merry Edwards, just down the road. Merry was one of the first, if not the first, women winemakers in the valley, and she is still making gorgeous wine, especially single-vineyard pinots.
Dinner that night was at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, and what can I say but that the food was perfection, as usual, and the cocktails make for a very happy hour, indeed. Baby turnip salad, ahi crudo, wild King salmon, Alaskan halibut, all utterly perfectly executed. It’s not cheap, and it may be a yuppie bastion, but damn, they are killing it undeniably. You can peer through frosted glass at the lab-like kitchen as you dine.
http://www.charliepalmer.com/dry-creek-kitchen
Jun 25th, 2013, 09:07 PM
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Part 4
The next day we girded our loins and drove to the Napa Valley to see if it was as depressingly, horrifyingly tarted up and overrun as we’d been told. The drive through the Knight’s Valley is the very definition of twists and turns, some so hairpin that we laughed out loud at the audacity of the road builders, through deep, dark, fairy-tale forest. Our destination was venerable Chateau Montelena, in Calistoga, immortalized in the film “Bottle Shock” as the winner of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, which pitted California wines against French. (One of the winners, that is, for chardonnay; Stag’s Leap won for cab.)We ignored the Japanese Garden in pursuit of the wine, there being only a few varietals made at the Chateau: cab, estate cab, chardonnay, estate zin, and a Riesling. They seemed to me to be rushing some young cab into bottles, but it will no doubt age well. I’m a fan of the chardonnay, which is marvelously well-balanced, but as we had some at home we paid for our tasting and were off.
Next stop was Heitz Cellars, which has been making wine in the valley since 1961 and is still hitting it out of the park with pure expressions of Napa style. A 1998 Trailside cab, while not a good year by any stretch, was still remarkably delicious. We must have spent at least an hour here, sent a case home, and then decided to visit Grgich Hills Estate. Now, more history: old Mike Grgich, celebrating his 90th birthday this year, actually made the winning 1973 chardonnay from Chateau Montelena. He was the winemaker there then, Jim Barrett, the owner. Anyway, we figured we’d be in for another classic Napa experience at Grgich, and so it was, but of a different kind. Young wine, loud tasting room, amped-up pourers and whole bunch of tourists being pressured into joining the club. Phooey.
We restored our equilibrium with dinner at Diavola in Geyserville, which was a favorite from our previous visit. It’s just a great neighborhood spot, small and unpretentious, that also happens to make its own pasta and salumi—you know, like it ain’t no thing. You may see a winemaker eating at the bar with his kids, or a couple of guys dirty from the fields picking up pizzas to go—everyone seems to pass through. We tucked into grilled asparagus salad with an egg and parmesan cheese, grilled Caesar salad (why isn’t it always grilled??), seafood ravioli, tagliatelli primavera, and then, dessert: tiramisu with blood orange gelato and cannoli. To die for, all of it, every excessive bit.
http://www.diavolapizzeria.com
The next day we girded our loins and drove to the Napa Valley to see if it was as depressingly, horrifyingly tarted up and overrun as we’d been told. The drive through the Knight’s Valley is the very definition of twists and turns, some so hairpin that we laughed out loud at the audacity of the road builders, through deep, dark, fairy-tale forest. Our destination was venerable Chateau Montelena, in Calistoga, immortalized in the film “Bottle Shock” as the winner of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, which pitted California wines against French. (One of the winners, that is, for chardonnay; Stag’s Leap won for cab.)We ignored the Japanese Garden in pursuit of the wine, there being only a few varietals made at the Chateau: cab, estate cab, chardonnay, estate zin, and a Riesling. They seemed to me to be rushing some young cab into bottles, but it will no doubt age well. I’m a fan of the chardonnay, which is marvelously well-balanced, but as we had some at home we paid for our tasting and were off.
Next stop was Heitz Cellars, which has been making wine in the valley since 1961 and is still hitting it out of the park with pure expressions of Napa style. A 1998 Trailside cab, while not a good year by any stretch, was still remarkably delicious. We must have spent at least an hour here, sent a case home, and then decided to visit Grgich Hills Estate. Now, more history: old Mike Grgich, celebrating his 90th birthday this year, actually made the winning 1973 chardonnay from Chateau Montelena. He was the winemaker there then, Jim Barrett, the owner. Anyway, we figured we’d be in for another classic Napa experience at Grgich, and so it was, but of a different kind. Young wine, loud tasting room, amped-up pourers and whole bunch of tourists being pressured into joining the club. Phooey.
We restored our equilibrium with dinner at Diavola in Geyserville, which was a favorite from our previous visit. It’s just a great neighborhood spot, small and unpretentious, that also happens to make its own pasta and salumi—you know, like it ain’t no thing. You may see a winemaker eating at the bar with his kids, or a couple of guys dirty from the fields picking up pizzas to go—everyone seems to pass through. We tucked into grilled asparagus salad with an egg and parmesan cheese, grilled Caesar salad (why isn’t it always grilled??), seafood ravioli, tagliatelli primavera, and then, dessert: tiramisu with blood orange gelato and cannoli. To die for, all of it, every excessive bit.
http://www.diavolapizzeria.com
Jun 25th, 2013, 09:07 PM
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Whoops, Part 5!
We began our last day back in Napa Valley with an appointment at Bell. If you like elegant New World Cabs, this is your ticket—fruit bombs need not apply at Bell. Anthony Bell, the winemaker, is a South African who came to California in the 1970’s and never left, and is credited with reviving some of the clones that make Napa Cabs the beauties that they are. The wines are relative bargains (Napa, remember?), and Bell’s sunshine-in-a-bottle style is consistently wonderful.
Jetted into Oakville Grocery for a snack: this has to be the quintessential Wine Country “market”, yuppie, yes, but chock full of tasties, too. Then it was back through the Knight’s Valley to Healdsburg, where we walked around a bit. My two cents? Avoid Williamson, a tasting room on the square that is the only thing even resembling a tourist trap we have ever encountered in wine country. Consider taking a peek at The Shed, an extremely pretentious cook’s supply store and having a giggle at the rarefied airs it puts on; don’t be ashamed if you find yourself buying an olive oil or a tin of sardines of obscure provenance, it happens.
And don’t miss Bear Republic, a brewery pub just off the square near the Healdsburg Hotel. The Black Racer, a black IPA, is killer, but we also liked the Weizen, the Global Kolsch, and the laid back atmosphere. If you ever tire of wine—shh, don’t tell anyone—this is the place to retire to. Just watch that ABV! A couple of craft beers can put me under the table.
http://bearrepublic.com
Our last dinner in the Valley was at Scopa, again—we just couldn’t stay away, and they were terribly sweet about fitting us in at the last minute as returning guests. (Have I emphasized how warm and welcoming everyone was? Yeah, I know, tourism is their bread and butter, but man, are they good at it!) More grilled asparagus with egg and parm, but different from Diavola’s, an insane burrata with house-made cheese, more accomplished pasta, plus a flourless chocolate cake with crème anglaise—can’t be topped. The waiter began by asking “You want Sonoma wine because you’re here or anything but Sonoma wine because you’re here?” We chose an Italian Rosso di Montalcino he recommended and were well pleased—turned out he’s the wine buyer, too!
Returned to our room to lash our cases of wine generously with tape and finish up the Montalcino. Woke to one last Hotel Healdsburg breakfast, drove back to the airport, dropped car off without a hitch, and then flew home amazed that yet again, we left regretting only that we didn’t stay longer.
We began our last day back in Napa Valley with an appointment at Bell. If you like elegant New World Cabs, this is your ticket—fruit bombs need not apply at Bell. Anthony Bell, the winemaker, is a South African who came to California in the 1970’s and never left, and is credited with reviving some of the clones that make Napa Cabs the beauties that they are. The wines are relative bargains (Napa, remember?), and Bell’s sunshine-in-a-bottle style is consistently wonderful.
Jetted into Oakville Grocery for a snack: this has to be the quintessential Wine Country “market”, yuppie, yes, but chock full of tasties, too. Then it was back through the Knight’s Valley to Healdsburg, where we walked around a bit. My two cents? Avoid Williamson, a tasting room on the square that is the only thing even resembling a tourist trap we have ever encountered in wine country. Consider taking a peek at The Shed, an extremely pretentious cook’s supply store and having a giggle at the rarefied airs it puts on; don’t be ashamed if you find yourself buying an olive oil or a tin of sardines of obscure provenance, it happens.
And don’t miss Bear Republic, a brewery pub just off the square near the Healdsburg Hotel. The Black Racer, a black IPA, is killer, but we also liked the Weizen, the Global Kolsch, and the laid back atmosphere. If you ever tire of wine—shh, don’t tell anyone—this is the place to retire to. Just watch that ABV! A couple of craft beers can put me under the table.
http://bearrepublic.com
Our last dinner in the Valley was at Scopa, again—we just couldn’t stay away, and they were terribly sweet about fitting us in at the last minute as returning guests. (Have I emphasized how warm and welcoming everyone was? Yeah, I know, tourism is their bread and butter, but man, are they good at it!) More grilled asparagus with egg and parm, but different from Diavola’s, an insane burrata with house-made cheese, more accomplished pasta, plus a flourless chocolate cake with crème anglaise—can’t be topped. The waiter began by asking “You want Sonoma wine because you’re here or anything but Sonoma wine because you’re here?” We chose an Italian Rosso di Montalcino he recommended and were well pleased—turned out he’s the wine buyer, too!
Returned to our room to lash our cases of wine generously with tape and finish up the Montalcino. Woke to one last Hotel Healdsburg breakfast, drove back to the airport, dropped car off without a hitch, and then flew home amazed that yet again, we left regretting only that we didn’t stay longer.
Jun 26th, 2013, 05:42 AM
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Wow. What a great report. Putting together our detour to Napa Valley (probably sticking with that and not trying to also include Sonoma -- yea, yea -- I know) for two nights in late August. Peter's not been at all, and I haven't been in quite a few years. Trying to narrow down which of all my favorite wineries isn't easy! You offer some great suggestions. Rafanelli at Dry Creek is a given for me, but I must check out Bell. And is Chateau Montelena still as charmingly elegant as ever -- or has it become a turnstile tourist place? That's how you describe Grigch Hills and exactly how I remember it even way back when we visited (despite their great wines)! I think it was a major wine bus tour stop!
Jun 26th, 2013, 07:32 AM
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Hi, Neo! Thank you!
A mere glance at a map of Napa wineries makes narrowing down one's stops SO hard! I do sympathize. Note that Bell, which I hope you'll love, requires an appointment. If you don't want to tie yourself down, or really, just because, consider Heitz, it's just great.
Chateau Montelena... what to say? I was put off by the two gigantic parking lots at the bottom of the hill, one labelled Bus Parking. But, both were empty when we arrived, so our experience was decent. The original tasting room is as it always was, but there are spillover rooms we didn't see. The pourer pushed the clubs hard, but was polite about it. I dunno. I'm not sure I'd go back for the tasting experience, though I'd buy the wine. If you go, go first thing, before it fills up.
Funny about Grgich--wish we'd known!
A mere glance at a map of Napa wineries makes narrowing down one's stops SO hard! I do sympathize. Note that Bell, which I hope you'll love, requires an appointment. If you don't want to tie yourself down, or really, just because, consider Heitz, it's just great.
Chateau Montelena... what to say? I was put off by the two gigantic parking lots at the bottom of the hill, one labelled Bus Parking. But, both were empty when we arrived, so our experience was decent. The original tasting room is as it always was, but there are spillover rooms we didn't see. The pourer pushed the clubs hard, but was polite about it. I dunno. I'm not sure I'd go back for the tasting experience, though I'd buy the wine. If you go, go first thing, before it fills up.
Funny about Grgich--wish we'd known!
Jun 26th, 2013, 10:24 AM
#11
Excellent report!!!! We will be in Bodega Bay in a couple of weeks visiting our friends.
Patrick, if you get to Alexander Valley, the Stryker winery is not only beautiful, but has great wines. We had dinner in the vineyard there (we're wine club members and they have special events) a couple of years ago.
Patrick, if you get to Alexander Valley, the Stryker winery is not only beautiful, but has great wines. We had dinner in the vineyard there (we're wine club members and they have special events) a couple of years ago.
Jun 26th, 2013, 12:46 PM
#13
Thanks for your very informative report. I live in SF but rarely go to Napa/Sonoma. Went last year for Thanksgiving, and it was a revelation--just so pretty and relaxing, with so many good restaurants. We are going again this year; maybe we will stay in Healdsburg this time.
Jun 26th, 2013, 02:16 PM
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NewbE...
Darn you!!!
I got to thinking since I'm having some pasta tonight...:-?
Ran out to Total Wines and bought a bottle of 2007 Bell cab.
I'm hoping I have some left by time the sauce simmers down.
Darn you!!! I got to thinking since I'm having some pasta tonight...:-?
Ran out to Total Wines and bought a bottle of 2007 Bell cab.
I'm hoping I have some left by time the sauce simmers down.
Jun 27th, 2013, 07:46 AM
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Dear NewbE,
Thank you for your visit to Grgich Hills but were surprised that you did not have a good experience. We work very hard to provide everyone a great time.
Your review says we sell young wine but because we are family owned, we actually age our wines a bit longer than most: for example, we are pouring our 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon when many wineries have already switched to their 2010 and we do have different experiences where you can try older vintages. The tasting room can become loud, since it is actually part of the cellar, which has bare cement floors and stainless steel tanks, so not much noise abatement there.
While we do make sure everyone knows about our wine clubs, we feel we don’t push them onto our visitors. If you can remember your server’s name, we can make sure we correct that problem.
Again, thank you for your visit to our winery and we hope you’ll try us again and take one of our tours or sit down tastings: that may be more the experience that you were looking for.
Ken Morris
Grgich Hills Estate
Thank you for your visit to Grgich Hills but were surprised that you did not have a good experience. We work very hard to provide everyone a great time.
Your review says we sell young wine but because we are family owned, we actually age our wines a bit longer than most: for example, we are pouring our 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon when many wineries have already switched to their 2010 and we do have different experiences where you can try older vintages. The tasting room can become loud, since it is actually part of the cellar, which has bare cement floors and stainless steel tanks, so not much noise abatement there.
While we do make sure everyone knows about our wine clubs, we feel we don’t push them onto our visitors. If you can remember your server’s name, we can make sure we correct that problem.
Again, thank you for your visit to our winery and we hope you’ll try us again and take one of our tours or sit down tastings: that may be more the experience that you were looking for.
Ken Morris
Grgich Hills Estate
Jun 30th, 2013, 12:46 PM
#17
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Hi, Ken--
I have thought hard about how best to respond to your post, because I want to be respectful of your concern for your winery's reputation.
Our server did not push the wine clubs on us--he was skilled and personable and could see we were not interested in that pitch. But the pitches we overheard being laid on less seasoned visitors were quite a bit more aggressive than we are used to. That sales style cannot be news to you; if anything needs to be corrected, it's that, and not any one server's manner. Please note that my experience was echoed by another poster who commented on my trip report, in the off-topic section here (which is, unfortunately, closed to new registrants). He had a similar take on the tasting room, but from a visit over 10 years ago.
As for the wine itself, perhaps your servers can open the bottles earlier, even decant them, to mitigate their tight structure and harsh tannins. I have no doubt they will age well, these wines, but they did not show well in the tasting room, at least in our opinion. You can't please everyone!
Lastly, I understand that a private tasting, or specially curated tasting, can always be arranged. You are correct that the standard tasting room experience, which we enjoyed at other wineries, was not our cup of tea at Grgich.
I have thought hard about how best to respond to your post, because I want to be respectful of your concern for your winery's reputation.
Our server did not push the wine clubs on us--he was skilled and personable and could see we were not interested in that pitch. But the pitches we overheard being laid on less seasoned visitors were quite a bit more aggressive than we are used to. That sales style cannot be news to you; if anything needs to be corrected, it's that, and not any one server's manner. Please note that my experience was echoed by another poster who commented on my trip report, in the off-topic section here (which is, unfortunately, closed to new registrants). He had a similar take on the tasting room, but from a visit over 10 years ago.
As for the wine itself, perhaps your servers can open the bottles earlier, even decant them, to mitigate their tight structure and harsh tannins. I have no doubt they will age well, these wines, but they did not show well in the tasting room, at least in our opinion. You can't please everyone!
Lastly, I understand that a private tasting, or specially curated tasting, can always be arranged. You are correct that the standard tasting room experience, which we enjoyed at other wineries, was not our cup of tea at Grgich.
Jul 1st, 2013, 02:13 PM
#18
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NewbE..it was very good.
Cut right thru the meaty sauce.
While trying not to be a "squatter", we went to St Helena y'day and drove by Bell. We were going to stop on the way back but it was too crowded to make a so/bound left turn.
"As for the wine itself, perhaps your servers can open the bottles earlier, even decant them, to mitigate their tight structure and harsh tannins."
My SIL and wine-o buddy bought me a decanter and said you'll never drink it any other way after this. So true.
And thank goodness I re-read your comments about Grgich because I thought you orginally said Mike Grgich himself was loud and pressuring you!
As Neo said, great wines.
Cut right thru the meaty sauce.
While trying not to be a "squatter", we went to St Helena y'day and drove by Bell. We were going to stop on the way back but it was too crowded to make a so/bound left turn.
"As for the wine itself, perhaps your servers can open the bottles earlier, even decant them, to mitigate their tight structure and harsh tannins."
My SIL and wine-o buddy bought me a decanter and said you'll never drink it any other way after this. So true.
And thank goodness I re-read your comments about Grgich because I thought you orginally said Mike Grgich himself was loud and pressuring you!
As Neo said, great wines.
Oct 31st, 2013, 03:37 PM
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Sounds like you had a grand time!
So much to concur with and some much to hold my tongue about, Laughs!!
ONE item you noted however, has to be *corrected*:... and we bought a bottle at Merry Edwards, just down the road. Merry was one of the first, if not the first, women winemakers in the valley...
I think she is swell, but she comes after several other woman winemakers:
1950 Concannon hired the first professional, female winemaker, Katherine Vajda.
{NOTE: The book: Women of Wine by Ann B. Matasar, offers quite a few before 1950,1982, and after 1989 where the list below cuts off. I did not cut and paste all of that. I want you to be curious... smile.}
1982: Milla Handley made her first Handley Cellars Chardonnay under the Handley label in Mendocino.
1984: Merry Edwards left Matanzas Creek to devote herself full time to consulting and Merry Vintners, a small winery that she and her family founded in the Russian River Valley. In 1997, she co-founded a business venture that allowed her to produce Merry Edwards wines in Sonoma County.
1986: Delia Viader founded Viader Vineyards in Napa. Her first vintage was 1989, when she produced 1,200 cases of wine.
1987: Cathy Corison made the first vintage of Corison Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa.
1989: Lane Tanner instituted the Lane Tanner label in Santa Barbara County.
1989: Marty Bannister established Bannister Wines in the Russian River Valley AVA.
Source: http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/lgilbert/facts.php
Proudly, we have a deep and rich history of women in the wine business from many perspectives that most people don't know about.
I implore you and other wine lovers to please read: Women of Wine by Ann B. Matasar.
So much to concur with and some much to hold my tongue about, Laughs!!
ONE item you noted however, has to be *corrected*:... and we bought a bottle at Merry Edwards, just down the road. Merry was one of the first, if not the first, women winemakers in the valley...
I think she is swell, but she comes after several other woman winemakers:
1950 Concannon hired the first professional, female winemaker, Katherine Vajda.
{NOTE: The book: Women of Wine by Ann B. Matasar, offers quite a few before 1950,1982, and after 1989 where the list below cuts off. I did not cut and paste all of that. I want you to be curious... smile.}
1982: Milla Handley made her first Handley Cellars Chardonnay under the Handley label in Mendocino.
1984: Merry Edwards left Matanzas Creek to devote herself full time to consulting and Merry Vintners, a small winery that she and her family founded in the Russian River Valley. In 1997, she co-founded a business venture that allowed her to produce Merry Edwards wines in Sonoma County.
1986: Delia Viader founded Viader Vineyards in Napa. Her first vintage was 1989, when she produced 1,200 cases of wine.
1987: Cathy Corison made the first vintage of Corison Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa.
1989: Lane Tanner instituted the Lane Tanner label in Santa Barbara County.
1989: Marty Bannister established Bannister Wines in the Russian River Valley AVA.
Source: http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/lgilbert/facts.php
Proudly, we have a deep and rich history of women in the wine business from many perspectives that most people don't know about.
I implore you and other wine lovers to please read: Women of Wine by Ann B. Matasar.
Nov 2nd, 2013, 10:31 AM
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Love your line "charming servers who minister to the guests gently, as though they are nurses at a high-end spa for hysterics."
Your trip report was wonderful and I know I will want to reread it next time we head that way. Even though we live in the Bay Area, I think you have a better knowledge of the offerings of the Sonoma and Napa valleys than we do. Thank you for writing about your wonderful trip.
Your trip report was wonderful and I know I will want to reread it next time we head that way. Even though we live in the Bay Area, I think you have a better knowledge of the offerings of the Sonoma and Napa valleys than we do. Thank you for writing about your wonderful trip.
