Jim & Jamie’s Adventures In Napa

We were invited to a hospitality event at Folio this past week to learn more about what the Robert Mondavi family is doing with their latest private venture in winemaking.  The tasting room is set in the Carneros region and we drove back over the rolling hills, Jamie and I both were amazed at how beautiful the Carneros region is just for driving.  Arriving at the tasting room we were faced with a very large display of wines to taste, somewhere around 30.  Folio carries multiple labels and each label focuses on a different varietal, or blend, or even region of the Napa Valley.  I was poured a tasting of the Oberon Cabernet, which had a very subtle berry tone that lingered in your mouth well after you swallowed.  With light tannin it was the perfect complement to the cheeses, salamis, and bread they offered you to eat.  Behind the tasting room I was pleasantly surprised by the art display, where local artists are given an opportunity to showcase and sell their art through the winery.  Then- this was the best part!- you walk out the back door and sit on the veranda that overlooks the vineyards.  If we didn’t have anything else to do we would have easily spent an hour just sipping wine and enjoying the view of the rolling hills, the blue skies, and the yellow mustard growing up between the black and pruned vines.  I tried one other Oberon Cab and learned a little bit about what it means for a wine to be “fruit forward”.  The nose and immediate flavor on the second Cab was strong and bold, not as subtle as the first one.  ”Imagine,” Mike the tasting room manager said, “enjoying this with a tomato based sauce like Cioppino.  You want the fruit to a little strong so it can meet the flavor of the sauce.”  A light went off in my head.  Aha!  Another Napa Valley lesson learned.  We left Folio and headed for Artesa, a short drive up the road.  Not very distinct from the distance, and appearing like a bunker as you drove closer, we were impressed by the stunning views when we arrived, as well as the way they built the winery into the hillside to blend in with nature.  The views alone are worth the trip as you can see all the way to San Francisco and all over the Carneros region.  I enjoyed their Reserve Cabernet as I sat out on the veranda overlooking this great view and, like Folio, imagined that I could easily spend an hour with a bottle of wine and good friends just sitting down and embracing the day.  The other thing I like about Artesa is that they offer a sparkling wine on their menu, something not seen beyond Mumm Napa, Schramsberg, and Domain Chandon.  I’m still looking for others that provide it.