Jim & Jamie’s Adventures In Napa

I don’t often say that I like everything I tried, but this was an unusual place.  A world-class winemaker producing wines that are reasonably priced.  Now, that is the real surprise of this place.  I won’t drop his name- you’ll have to discover it for yourself; but he is consultant to many wineries here in the Napa Valley because he is one of the few who has produced a 100-point wine out of Napa.  We were encouraged to visit by a friend of ours and finally made our way to this small, unassuming winery with a very small and intimate tasting room.  The pourer, Jim, was just delightful and very informative, and let us also taste the winemaker’s son’s wine.  To be honest, the son has a ways to go, but is making some nice wine; just not as lovely as his father.  Anyway, if you are looking for an unassuming place to drink some really nice wine that is affordable and unpretentious, then this is the place for you.  If you are looking for splash, and pizzazz, and a major tour, please go elsewhere.  The winemaker’s son also produces wine out of Saddleback under a different label.  His wine was good but, in our opinion, not as good as his father’s wine- and, it was more expensive!  And in today’s times, less expensive is good especially when the flavor in your mouth is popping.  By the way, they have some tables and umbrellas outdoors for picnics, and I would highly recommend this as a place to enjoy your lunch.  As with any winery it is common courtesy to buy a bottle of wine when using the picnic grounds.

Anyone who has been to Napa knows that out of the 400+ wineries, many of them are listed as Private, which often means you cannot access them……unless, of course, you know someone…or someone who knows someone else.  We have some of those connections in the valley, connections that would allow guests to have access to very private and exclusive tastings not offered to anyone unless you are “in the know”.  We often don’t publicize the fact because the prices on some of these private wines can be $75 to $150 and up, and the expectation of the winemaker is that the individuals coming to the winery are on a “wine-buying” trip and are serious about buying a case or more of wine from them.  Most of these wineries only produce one thousand cases or less, which means there is very little to go around.  There are “cult wineries” that have started like this- Screaming Eagle, for one.  It was a small private winery and in 1992 it received 100 points from Robert Parker- high praise indeed.  With that rating came higher prices, and a waiting list for the wine.  It doesn’t matter that the original winemaker is gone; the cult-following is there.  Look for anything on a menu with Screaming Eagle and you can see upwards of $1500 or more for a single bottle of wine.  Today there is a waiting list to be put on the wine club members list, a wait of up to 3 years, we’re told.  Anyway, other private wineries are producing great wines and some of them are providing really unique experiences.  One place we visited (and you can too, for the right price of course) was up on Diamond Mountain.  We took a dirt road, parked, and then walked through some sagebrush to a 3-tier platform that had the most magnificent view of Napa Valley.  One section was covered with a trellis, with a table and chairs set up for formal wine tasting.  This winemaker only produces one wine, but he had 3 different years for us to taste and purchase.  It was a fascinating exercise in how wine changes over the years, and to speak to him about why he made it different each year and what he was trying to achieve; this was the real bonus.  Not to mention the VIEWS!  Then he told us that he is willing to do private lunches and dinners at the vineyard with the following stipulations: you have to hire a driver to take you there and back home (dinner drivers run about $100 for the evening).  I can understand why, as you are able to drink as much wine as you like, meander through the 13 acres of vines, or to just stare and gawk at the VIEWS.  Did I tell you about the VIEWS?  Okay, so that is really what you are paying for.  The other stipulation is that you wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes as you have to walk on this trail approximately 50 yards to get to the platform.  This is not a place dressing up; this is meant for casual dress for dinner.   Also, your bathroom (which is extra if you want it) is an outhouse that he will put on the property.  He also has plenty of lanterns and lighting for night events so you won’t get lost getting back to your driver.  For $125 per person for lunch, or $150 per person for dinner, you get wonderful VIEWS, as much wine as you want to drink (the wine is about $70/bottle), and a gourmet meal (beef wellington was the last meal he served).  He is willing to do it for 2 people up to 12 people, exclusively for The Inn On First.  If you want to go, all you have to do is ask.  We’ll be glad to set you up.

Last week we were asked to participate in a hospitality presentation at Peju Winery.  With a new chef, Marianne, at the helm of the food, and the winemaker, Sarah Fowler, still producing great wine, Peju is investing in a new series of food and wine pairing sessions.  The first was the wine and cheese: four distinct California cheeses paired with four of Peju’s wines.  The goat cheese stood out beautifully with the Sauvignon Blanc, the Humboldt Fog went well with the Provence, lamb prosciutto was paired with the 05 Merlot, and a sheep’s milk cheese with the 05 Cabernet Sauvignon.  The chef was informative, entertaining, and very engaging with the group (no more than fifteen in each session).  We followed this up with a tour of the grounds and discovered (finally!) that those funky trees they are growing are stripped down sycamores.  If you haven’t seen them, you should.  They are leafing all the way up each long trunk and the effect is hypnotic.  We toured the estate vineyard where their award-winning Cab comes from, as well as the chef’s herb and vegetable garden where everything was popping up in abundance.  Our hosts, Katie and Connor, talked to us about the energy-efficiency of the winery as it utilizes solar panels to produce close to 40% of the energy the winery uses to produce the wines.  We were taken through the barrel room and then fortunate enough to see the new bottling machine where they were just putting together a new bottle and label of a Syrah Rose. Returning to the main tasting room, we were escorted through the new tasting room addition that is very bright, beautiful, and contemporary.  We finished our day back upstairs for a second session, this time for tapas and wine pairing.  We started with a goat’s milk yogurt cheese with a pate paired with the 05 Merlot, moved to the lamb meatball with pomegranate reduction paired with the 05 Cabernet Franc, proceeded to the crostini with boar prosciutto and caramelized onions/macerated cherries which perfectly fit the 05 Fifty/Fifty blend, and finished with the Yellow Bell Pepper in tempura that was paired with the 04 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  Once the hour session was completed we made a beeline to the kitchen for a quick tour and then to the tasting room to purchase some of these wines.  We both highly recommend the experience (cheese tasting @$40; tapas tasting @ $60) and would encourage a guest to do BOTH (there may be a discount for both experiences in a single day)!  What a great way to spend a few hours drinking wine, enjoying the vineyards, and eating really great, creative food.  Currently these are being offered on Thursdays and Fridays.  Cheese tastings are at 11:00 a.m. and Tapas tastings are at 1:00 p.m.

It is pre-season for us and we still have a few weeks left where we can sneak out for the afternoon and go wine tasting.  Many of our guests last summer raved about Pride Vineyards and we decided to take the trek up Spring Mountain for the afternoon to visit them.  The entrance to the mountain top is out of St. Helena, and then it is a 15 minute windy trek up the hillside road.  I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who has already been tasting and is driving.  You will want all of your faculties firmly in place as you meander up that mountain.  

Coming into the vineyards we could see some picnic tables on the hillside overlooking the gorgeous vista of the surrounding mountain ranges.  We knew right away that the view alone was worth the drive.  As the winery is “by appointment only” (a requirement of federal law for many wineries) there were few people in the tasting room.  Their focus, we found out, is on personalized service to for each appointment.  The bad news was that the Chardonnay had sold out and they had nothing left to taste; the good news was that they were breaking open the Reserve Chardonnay in its place until the next release.  Boo-hoo!  That Reserve was crisp, clean, with lots of fruit and floral aromas.  We enjoyed it.  I think of it less as a food pairing wine, but rather as a cocktail wine, or sitting around the pool wine.

We moved onto the Cabernet Franc, discovering that this grape is usually used for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon, but that they were so pleased with the Cab Franc’s appeal, they bottled it as is.  We were happy they did.  We loved the full bodied smell that came off the glass and were instructed that Cab Franc is known for its aromatic nature, and that is why they blend it with Cab Sauvignon.  They next poured the Merlot and my mouth did a little dance of joy as the cherries and berries, tart and full, hit my palate.  We both fell in love with that wine.  Tim, our host, then offered to show us the caves and the new storage facility they are building.  We jumped at the chance and as we entered the cave he gave us an opportunity to try the Syrah from the barrel and also the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  Oh boy, did that Reserve Cab do me in.  I could have rolled the barrel home and put in a hose on top and been satisfied with that wine for a very long time.  It is not overly complex, but it is supple and soft in the mouth with a very, very slight tannic finish, leaving you with essence of chocolate and berries.  Don’t berate me for the descriptors!  These winemakers really do strive to put flavors into their wines, using the skins, the stems, the type of wood for the barrel, the length of time in the barrel, the blending, etc.  Some flavors I love (chocolate, dark cherry), others won’t turn me away (tobacco, leather), and then some just send me screaming from the winery (green bell pepper- herbaceousness, they call it!).  Some people love what I hate, and others hate what I love.  That is why there is so much wine produced, because we all have different palates and need to find what we like to drink.   Honestly, I enjoyed everything I drank at Pride and my wallet is the poorer because of it.

As for visiting, because it is by appointment they book early (2 to 4 weeks prior in normal season; 6 to 8 weeks prior in high season) as they only take 10 people in the tasting room every 30 minutes.  They produce about 22,000 cases of wine total, and most of it never hits the market.  Some of their smaller lots are only 200 cases which means it goes quickly, especially when it is tasty.  They also have great picnic grounds, either on the hilltop overlooking all the vineyards (no shade), or down by the guest house and the old winery ruins (shaded and grassy).  They even provide you with a chilled bucket if you purchase and want to drink a bottle of chilled Chardonnay with your picnic.  They will even do private group tastings in a separate room with enough advance reservation notice.  They do one tour in the morning for 60 to 90 minutes, and it includes a visit to the vineyards, a walk through the caves, and if there is time and availability, some barrel tasting.  Tasting fees run about $15 per person, and most of the time those are waived when you purchase wine from them.

I highly recommend this winery, but not for those trying to taste a lot of different wines in a short period of time.  This is a half-day event and meant for those who want a more relaxing tasting day experience: an hour’s drive, an hour or more of tasting and touring, and a recommendation of a picnic (buy your food in St. Helena before you trek up the mountain) before returning to the valley floor.  Their wines average $60 bottle and you will definitely want to take the experience home with you.

The Napa Valley is known for a mix of both large and small wineries, and typically Jamie and I stay away from large wineries as they are busier, more touristed, and the wines we’ve tasted are usually mediocre. Not that we don’t like large wineries. To the contrary- we love their educational tours and seminars as they provide the best service to guests who are visiting the Napa Valley for the first time. We had heard a lot about Beringer and Dean Busquaert’s educational session on wine and dominant tastes in food. Guests would return from his session raving about how much they had learned. We finally met Dean and he agreed to come to The Inn On First one night and provide a slimmed down version of his seminar for our guests. Over the course of one hour he paired up different wines with various tastes in food (sweet, salty, sour, savory), and he explained why some flavors worked well with wine and others didn’t. When he had us experiment for ourselves the lessons became more obvious and suddenly we all felt like wine and food pairing experts. Granted, we are all far from that, but let’s not spoil the delusion for the moment….by the end of that hour we were more educated and ready to try and pair up wines with dominant food tastes as we eat around the Valley. Now, he also brought some of Beringer’s reserve wines, and what a difference that made. As I stated at the beginning of this paragraph, I usually steer away from tasting wines at large wineries as they will offer their lower end wines for tasting; and my experience is that these wines are mediocre. The exception- and there is always an exception to the rule- is that these larger wineries have “reserve” wines that are far better in flavor and complexity. Even at small wineries, when there is an option to taste reserve wines, I will always take that option knowing this is a better selection of wines. Beringer was no exception. All of us were impressed with their reserve wines and Dean was more than happy to take orders to fill for guests before he left. Although we probably won’t see him for the rest of the season- especially now that he was written up in Conde Naste as a “not to be missed” experience in Napa- we really encourage guests early on to seriously consider taking his session. He is funny, engaging, and hugely educational. That hour moved so quickly and we regretted we didn’t get more time with him. If you think you are going to want this “not to be missed” experience, be sure to sign up early. More information is available on the Beringer website (http://www.beringer.com).

MAKING NAPA YOUR CENTRAL GETAWAY:

For those who visit Napa overnight, or for two nights at most, we always here the refrain on their way out the door: “If I had known that we could do so much here I would have stayed longer!”  We try to warn people all the time: “One or two nights in Napa is just barely scraping the surface.  You should give yourself three to four nights at a minimum.”  

Why?  Start with wineries.  With over 400 to choose from you can imagine the diversity of experience.  From wine cave visits, to barrel tasting, to food and wine pairing tastings, as well as all the varietals from each region in Napa producing a different flavor, one or two days is just skimming the surface.  

There are picnic wineries, view wineries, wine-making wineries where you are the winemaker, experimental wineries, green eco-conscious wineries.  Then there are all the art wineries, the art preserves, and the spectacular drives through the Valley.  And not just one valley, but many within driving distance of Napa (Sonoma, Russian River, Chiles, and Anderson to name a few).  

Then there is the coastline along Bodega Bay, visiting Point Reyes and Tomales Bay, and driving along the coast of Northern California, all of which can be done in one day while you stay in Napa.  Of course, there is also the cheese factory, the olive oil tasting, the Bale Grist Mill where they still produce flour for you to purchase.  

We haven’t even talked about restaurants yet, both those in Napa proper as well as all of those throughout the Valley.  From fine dining, to the local burger joint; from French, to Italian, to Steak, to Sushi, to Creole, to Spanish, to California Fresh, to Fish, to Vegetarian, to Ribs, to Seafood. 

And what about a spa day?  Either an in-room massage, or a mud bath, or a volcanic ash bath, a facial, pedicure, or manicure to start your day?  Don’t forget the horseback riding, riding a bicycle through St. Helena and the vineyards, hiking up Mt. St. Helena, and visiting the animal preserve. For golfers there are four main courses we recommend in the Valley:  Chardonnay, Eagle Vines, Vintner’s, and Silverado are all very near Napa and provide various levels of course expertise. 

If visiting San Francisco is part of your plan, then make it a day trip out of Napa.  You can drive into the City in 1 hour, 15 minutes, with no traffic, or take the Vallejo Ferry (a 30 minute drive from the Inn), with a 1-hour ride on the boat into San Francisco (and they drop you off in the heart of all the tourist action at Fisherman’s Wharf).  Imagine, you go into the City for the day and then return to the quiet of the Napa Valley to sleep in the heart of the wine country. 

Don’t get us wrong.  As former residents of San Francisco we know what the City has to offer and we encourage our guests to visit.  Now that we live in Napa, though, we understand all that the Valley has to offer and see how anyone could make Napa their central hub and make day trips all over the Bay Area.  

We do have our limitations, though, as much as we would like to believe your stay in Napa could provide you with access to all of Northern California.  For those who have not been here before, Mendocino (to the North) and Monterey (to the South) are too far away for day trips.  Those are at least three to four hours in one direction to either location.  That would also be the same for Lake Tahoe (to the East) and Yosemite (to the South-East), two other great places to visit, and even further away.  We don’t recommend you try any of those in one day.

Swanson is a small family owned winery in Napa Valley that has a most unusual set-up.  The tasting salon sits in the middle of vineyards they do not own (their vineyards are behind Brix Restaurant), and the decor in the salon is really unique.  Painted in bold colors, with large whimsical portraits of people and grapes and wine, it is bright and cheery as you enter the room and find yourself greeted by Cidy or Sean who immediately invite you to sip a little Pinot Grigio and stand by the open fire.  Since it was a cool Napa day it was a wonderful greeting.  This was a hospitality event to introduce us to their salon and how they do tastings, and Cidy took responsibility for each person at the door to invite them to enjoy the food that was being paired with the wine.  The Pinot Grigio with deviled eggs and caviar (my mouth still waters) and the salmon crostini with a housemade ricotta-like cheese, the Merlot was paired with pork sandwiches as well as cheese and crackers, and finally the Alexis (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon) blend with homemade chocolate truffles dusted with curry powder.  They all worked beautifully.  Alexis Swanson works closely with the chef to create this pairing and it creates a great time for everyone.  Normally guests will sit at the tasting table (only 10-12 allowed per session) and will enjoy about 90 minutes of tasting wine and eating food and receiving a great education on wine and food pairing.  They only do a few sessions per day and to make reservations you need to call weeks in advance, especially during the summer.  Although we haven’t done the tasting experience…yet!…we were really impressed by what we saw and experienced.  Other guests have gone throughout the past year and have really enjoyed their time at the salon.  The cost is $30-$55, depending on the number of wines and foods you pair with during your tasting.  For a small boutique winery, this really works well for guests to have a different kind of experience in Napa.

We had friends visiting and decided to take a ride up the Valley and to try one of the recommended places for a picnic. Stopping off at the Oakville Grocery we picked up sandwiches, chips, and something to drink. Despite its busyness, it amazed me how quickly they got food to the consumer. Jamie had the curried chicken salad sandwich (his favorite) and I went with the smoked turkey on foccacia with pesto (I love that sandwich). As you pull out of the parking lot of the Grocery you make a quick left, then right up the Oakville Grade Road. Drive for about 1/2 mile and you will see the Diamond Oaks winery entrance on the left. The picnic grounds are visible as you pull into the parking lot, and sit under a stand of oak trees. Imagine a hot summer day, a chilled bottle of Chardonnay or a lovely Pinot Noir as you nibble on your sandwich from the Oakville Grocery. It really is a lovely place to picnic. They require that you register in the tasting room, which really means that you should buy a bottle of wine and tell them you are going to use a picnic table. It’s just common courtesy at any winery to do so. The views from the picnic ground are beautiful. The vineyards, the mountains, and at this time of year, the light pall of smoke coming from the wineries that are burning the pruned branches off the vines. This is really a great time in Napa. Spring is here and that sweet smell of smoke is like incense, singing the praises of the wine yet to come.   All the fruit trees are in full bloom and when a breeze picks up the white blossoms fly off into the air creating a symphony of snowfall without all the cold and wetness of winter.  I love it!

We found ourselves with an afternoon free and decided to head up to Mumm Napa to pick up more sparkling wine, as we now put a split bottle of their Brut Prestige in the rooms for a guest’s arrival.  On the way back we decided to stop at a winery we haven’t visited yet and we chose Robert Sinskey as we have heard so many positive reviews from guests this past year.  Driving up the short hillside we parked the car and walked into a spacious and airy tasting room that had a full kitchen on the far side for cooking classes and demonstrations.   The fee for the tasting is $20, includes 4 pours and a pairing with food for each wine.  Small little bites of a crostini with cheese, ham and cheese puffs, and a lovely duck pate.  Included were some nuts and olives to be eaten along the way.  We soon learned that the winery is all organic, and that the wife of the winemaker is the one who creates the menus for the wines.  In the course of conversation the employee mentioned her name…Maria Helm Sinskey.  ”Maria Helm?” I asked.  ”As in the Sherman House and Squaw Valley Maria Helm?”  ”One and the same,” he replied.  Oh my.  I know her.  She was the first chef I worked with in San Francisco when I was first out of the culinary academy.  She wasn’t there that day, but I left a note and hope to reconnect with her in the months ahead.  As we ate and sipped, we were encouraged to see what happened to the wine- first on its own, and then with a bite of food.  These are the kinds of lessons we love as it really helps to understand how acids balance out creaminess, how tannins works with fats, and how flavors of the wine are softened or enhanced with each bite.  The experience itself was great, and the wine was even better!  Of course I fell in love with one Pinot Noir from the Vandal Vineyard in the Carneros region of Napa Valley, which just happens to be one of their more expensive wines.  How did I end up with champagne tastes on a beer budget?  Sinskey not only offers this food and wine pairing, but you can order a Bento Box lunch on the weekends, and enjoy eating on a lovely patio and picnic area that overlooks the Silverado Trail and the surrounding vineyards.  A great place to have lunch (you can bring your own); the only caveat (and this is true of any winery where you want to have a picnic) is that you come into the tasting room and buy a bottle of wine.  They have picnic tables, shaded areas, and lots of space to spread out and enjoy your afternoon.  They also have culinary tours and cave and cellar tours on a limited basis for those who plan ahead.

One of the perq’s of living in Napa and working in the hospitality industry is that we are invited to different events throughout the year. This past week we were invited to dine at the Wine Spectator CIA Greystone Restaurant with others in the hotel and BnB industry. Having eaten there twice before we knew we were in for a great meal. It started with a selection of “small bites”, an assortment of small tapas-style plates served at the table: pea mousse with tortilla strips, spelt with a sun-dried tomato and pepper sauce, duck pate on brioche, and a selection of olives. Although looking at something bright green on the plate (pea mousse) is not always appetizing, it surprised us with its freshness of flavor. Spring is here, it said to me. The spelt was a bit “fishy” for others at the table, but Jamie and I both enjoyed it. The duck pate was excellent…but then again, in my book, anything on brioche is excellent! For the main course I enjoyed a grilled Angus hanger steak with Sunchokes, king trumpet mushrooms, and watercress puree. Jamie ordered the crispy skinned grouper with baby arugula, fingerling potatoes, fennel, Picholine olives, roasted pimiento peppers and a blood orange gastrique. Both dishes were well-presented and the flavors came together nicely. The chef, Polly, came out at the end of the meal as we were finishing our creme brulee with biscotti and the molten chocolate lava cake. She offered her recipes for anyone who wanted them, and we found out that if you dine at the restaurant you can submit a request for the recipe to be sent to you. What a nice touch to the meal. We were also offered a full tour of the school, and I was really impressed with the student kitchen on the 3rd floor where the latest generation of chefs is being trained in the culinary arts. It reminded me of my days at the CCA in San Francisco and how much fun it was to be learning so much so quickly every day. That same energy was there as I peered at all the students working hard at their stations. Although you can see the chef’s working in the open kitchen in the restaurant, the student kitchen was even more spacious and open and afforded you a view of everything going on in the kitchen, and thus it was a bit more exciting and happening. I did ask if guests were allowed to see all of this and we were assured that if the concierge knows ahead of time that you want a tour that someone at the school would show you around all the kitchens, the cork collection of the departed Christian Brother who collected them, as well as the old Christian Brother’s Barrel room. It is a beautiful location and the surrounding countryside is gorgeous right now. During the summer the restaurant provides outdoor seating which would really add to the experience of dining there. It’s a great place to eat and well worth the 30 minute drive up the valley to get there. One other special note: we found out that Robert Parker does his famous blind wine tasting there at the CIA in November, a sold out event for 120 lucky people to experience this wine expert drink wine blindly, tell you where it is from, even down to the vineyard, and why certain wines are doing so well. You may not remember that he is the one who came up with the 100-point system that everyone uses today in wine-tasting. And event for the future. Mark it in the calendar! We are planning to attend.