I noticed someone on winealign.com asking about places to visit in Napa and Sonoma. I had written an article last year for iyellowwineclub.com about my own experience. Here it is. I had lots of pictures but somehow they’re now gone from my Flickr account so I’ll need to re-upload. Pictures make words come to life wouldn’t you say.
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I’ve always wanted to go to the famous regions of Napa and Sonoma. Being an avid wine enthusiast, these two areas had yet to be crossed off of my list of wine destinations to visit. You can imagine both my surprise and glee when my husband surprised me with a trip to San Francisco, which of course, included visiting wine country! I have to be honest with you: I felt both excited but somewhat guilty. Guilty because our trip was during Christmas so we wouldn’t see our families this year for the holidays. But as we made our way to the airport to catch the 7am flight, the thought of Christmas was the furthest from my mind! I had other things on the brain like what wineries to visit. Being in California during late December proved to be an excellent opportunity to wear my fall fashions – again. Something that I certainly couldn’t do here in Toronto. Hello snazzy leather boots! Exploring the wine regions of the world is a great opportunity to see beautiful landscapes and to also taste their “terroir”. It gives you another perspective of the both the land and the people. Even though Napa and Sonoma fall into the “New World” category when it comes to wine, these regions have been producing wines for a long time and are filled with rich history we normally associate with the “Old World” wine regions. What really impressed and overwhelmed me was the sheer number of wineries located in both Sonoma and Napa. Looking at the map, it was covered in dots, with each dot being of course, a winery. Map or no map, this is a place that I wouldn’t mind getting lost in!

Sonoma
This region tends to get overshadowed by it’s bigger brother Napa, even with a 130 year old history in making wine. It’s for the beauty of the surroundings and the quality of the wines that this region shouldn’t be overlooked. What really surprised me about both Sonoma and Napa is how many different micro-climates exist, each suitable for different varieties of grapes. It’s wonderful! When it came to winery visits and tastings, Sonoma was a bit cheaper. Some of the wineries even gave us complimentary tasting cards for others in the area. At each stop, we were encouraged to visit the other local wineries as each one had their own specialty. One thing I noticed was how nice the locals were! They were always willing to talk to you about the wine, the region, the history…or the weather if you wanted. Sitting in my hotel room in San Francisco, I was worried about how many wineries I would be able to visit. I later realized that distance between the actual wineries wasn’t the problem. It was time! If you’re heading out to this area, definitely give yourself enough time and don’t rush through or you’ll miss it all together.

The regions (or appellations) of Sonoma and the types of grapes that are the specialty:

• Russion River Valley: Cooler climate grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Dry Creek Valley: Big, bold Zinfandel
• Alexander Valley: The mighty Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel

Many of the smaller boutique wineries in Sonoma require that you call ahead and make an appointment. My visit to the area was also during the holiday season so I wasn’t sure what wineries would be available. Luckily for me, the larger estates were open and ready for tasting festivities.

Wineries visited in Sonoma:

• Kendall-Jackson
• Larger producer. I enjoyed a tasting of their “Reserve” wines.
• www.kj.com
• Martinelli
• Small boutique winery withe the tasting room and gift shop located in a historic turn-of-the-century hop barn.
• Lovely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel wines.
• www.martinelliwinery.com
• Francis Ford Coppola
• Some nice wines here. You can also see the various Academy Awards on display.
• www.franciscoppolawinery.com
• Clos du Bois

I could write long details for each winery visited, but I’ll highlight the key points of one:

Clos Du Bois

• Across the road from Francis Ford Coppola winery
• Tried some wines available for sale in the tasting room only. The wines were all good! I especially enjoyed the 2007 Fume Blanc from the Russian River Valley and the 2006 Old Vine Carignane from the Alexander Valley
• The tasting guide, George, was such a fun guy to have done the tasting with. He provided us with a terrific experience and gave us a lot of recommendations as to where to visit and see in both Sonoma and Napa. I explained to him my theory of heaven being a large tasting room. 🙂
• George finished off our tasting with two complimentary Clos du Bois wine glasses so we could enjoy some wine in our hotel room. I’m happy to report that these glasses survived the trip back home and are now a wonderful souvenir!
• Purchased a bottle of the 2006 Old Vine Carignane (81% Carignane and 19% Zinfandel) 
• www.closdubois.com

When planning a trip to this area, definitely pick up the Wine Road map. It has all the wineries listed plus lots of information about the region. You can obtain a paper copy at most wine shops in San Francisco or at the wineries. When in Sonoma County, head to Healdsberg. It’s a cute town with plenty of tasting bars and a coffee shop called “The Flying Goat” that’s just super. After a tough day of wine tasting (ok, it wasn’t that tough), having that great cup of coffee sealed the deal.

For more information:

• www.wineroad.com
• www.sonoma.com

Napa
After Christmas and much needed boxing day bargain shopping, my husband and I decided to take a couple of days to explore the Napa region. Like Sonoma, Napa is truly a beautiful place to explore. Vineyards are surrounded by rolling hills, historical estates, cute towns…it’s a perfect getaway from the drudgery of daily life (ok, I’m being dramatic). Even if you’re not really into wine, it’s easy just to appreciate this picturesque region.  Napa is not cheap so be prepared to open your wallet. Each winery offers tasting flights that range approximately between $15-$25 and the purchase of wines will cost anywhere between approximately $30-$200.  I tried to look for wines that I wouldn’t be able to buy here in Toronto and I have to say, I was pretty successful!

I had only a small taste of what the region had to offer so I definitely will be making a trip back. It’s a good excuse don’t you think? Driving around the region, it was surreal to see the famous names such as Opus, Rubicon, Duckhorn, Miner, Stags Leap and Mondavi. The wineries that I have a chance to visit in Napa were:

• Peju Province
• Opus One
• Rubicon Estate
• Known for it’s famous Rubicon wine
• Owned by the director Francis Ford Coppola
• I Purchased the 2006 Captain’s Reserve Zinfandel (aye aye Captain!)
• www.rubiconestate.com
• Hess
• Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay is what really shines here
• Private art collection for viewing on the premises
• www.hesscollection.com
• Trefethen
• Ranch-style winery
• Highlight wine was the 2007 Double Red Wine which is a Bordeaux blend
• www.trefethen.com
• Mumm Napa
• Sparkling wines; sister of the Mumm house in Champagne
• The French saw the potential of Napa as a premium wine making region
• www.mummnapa.com
• Chandon
• Sparkling wines
• Sister to the Moet & Chandon house in Champagne
• www.chandon.com
• Darioush

When in Napa, be sure to drive along the Silverado Trail. It’s a windy road that takes you deep into wine country. On each side of the road you’ll see wineries nestled between the rolling hills. I can only imagine what the area looks like just before harvest. Even in late December, it was beautiful. I even saw a tall palm tree in the middle of a vineyard. How funny! Next time I go to the area, I’d love to rent a bike and pedal my way through. I’m not sure how that would work with all the wine tastings I’d like to do! I’m sure it’ll be a wibbly, wobbly ride.

Be sure to stop in the town of Yountville. It’s small but charming. There are plenty of tasting rooms for you to sample wines from the wineries that you may not have had a chance to get to. This is also the town where the famous French Laundry and Bouchon restaurants are located. If you don’t have time to sit down for a full meal, then check out the Bouchon Bakery which is located beside the restaurant Bouchon. They have fabulous baked goods that will make you salivate.

For more information:

• www.napavalley.com
• www.napavalleyvineyards.org
• www.silveradotrail.com

Here are my personal three winery highlights from this trip to Napa:

Peju Province Winery
I was introduced to this winery at the “Night Life” iYellow event back in November 2009 (is it really 2010 already?!). I liked what I tasted that night so when I arrived in Napa, this winery was one of the ones on my list.

Here are the highlights:

• Located in Rutherford, Peju is just down the street from the famous Rubicon Estate winery on St. Helena Highway (Highway 29).
• Beautiful estate with a large structure resembling a French Provincial tower with these tall and bizarre looking trees lining the road up to the entrance.
• A tasting flight is $10 per person but complimentary with purchase of any bottle of wine.
• The tasting guide was a lot of fun. He’s known as the “Napa Rapa” (or, Napa Rapper) because of his wine-related rhymes and songs. I really enjoyed the Zinfandel rap! Learning is fun when put to rhyme. 🙂
• The highlight of the tasting was the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon H.B Vineyard (this one wasn’t supposed to be on the tasting menu, but given to the group in my honour for being the “Lady of Perpetual Consumption”. At $225 a bottle, was I ever happy to be that lady!
• I ended up purchasing the Provence (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Colombard – wow) and the 2008 Chardonnay.
• www.peju.com

Opus One

• Driving by, you would think that the building was a secret research facility or a government bunker. However, seeing that it was the Napa Valley, it most certainly was…a winery! The building, as imposing as it was, had a certain elegance in it’s minimal design.
• This winery is different from the rest in that they produce only one wine – their signature “Opus One” which is a Bordeaux style wine.
• They do have a secondary wine which is called Overture. The Overture wine is just the wine that didn’t pass to be included in the Opus label. I’m sure it’s still pretty darn good.
• For $30 USD you can have a tour of the facility (book this a few days in advance) and includes a glass of the famed Opus Wine. The current vintage is 2006.
• This is a gravity flow winery and is a collaboration between the late Robert Mondavi of Napa and the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild of France.
• The terrace on top of the winery overlooks the valley. It’s a great place to enjoy that Opus One wine.
• The tour was one of the best tours I’ve ever taken. Our guide was really engaging as she described the history of the winery and the production process. It helped that she personally knew the Mondavi and Rothschild because she had a lot of first-hand antidotes and descriptions about the pair.
• Having lusted over the Opus One bottle, I decided to purchase the much less expensive wine called “Overture” which retails for approximately $60 USD.
• www.opusonewinery.com

Dariush Winery

• Driving along the Silverado Trail, this winery captured my attention from the road because of the architecture.
• The building is supposed to evoke the image of Persepolis, the capital of ancient Persia.
• With beautiful columns and fountains, you’re greeted inside the winery to a very chic and elegant tasting room. The store showcases not only the wines but all sorts of luxury goods for sale.
• A tasting flight cost $25 and contained some fantastic wines. I loved every variety I tried. Of course this was not because I had been “tasting” all day. The wines were delicious!
• I ended up purchasing the 2008 Signature Viognier which might have been one of the best Viognier’s I’ve had in a long time. The Merlot was also outstanding. It was hard to decide what to buy. Seeing how I could only take so many bottles back home with me, I had to be selective. Too bad this producer isn’t in the LCBO. You can, however, obtain these wines from the importer B&W Wines here in Toronto.
• I really wish that I hadn’t arrived to this winery so late so I could have done a tour of the facilities. The only reason I ended up here was because I arrived at Paraduxx winery too late so it was closed. When one door closes, the other stays open ready to serve!
• www.darioush.com

Now that the holidays are over and it’s back to work, I’m longing to go back these two world-famous wine regions. It was such a great experience. Now when I’m in my local California section of the LCBO, I can say “I’ve been there!”. Having only read about these places in textbooks or getting a small glimpse of them at wine shows, I have a new appreciation of how unique and beautiful this area of California is.  On my next trip, I’d love to visit the wineries of Quivera, Simi, Wilson, Mazzocco, Fritz, Silver Oak and Bennett. I’d also like to explore the area known as Carneros, which is situated between Sonoma and Napa. So little time and so much wine. What is a gal supposed to do?!

Icewine. A gift from old man winter. On the last weekend in January I was part of the iYellow Wine Club icewine tour. The tour took place during the annual Niagara Icewine Festival. I was so excited! I mean, I love going to wine country, but this was different. Nearly fifty of us  piled onto a giant bus and be driven around all day long. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. It wasn’t too cold and the snow was falling gently, creating a perfect picturesque drive. I have to add that the bus driver was just hilarious.

How was this big bus of eager wine lovers going to visit five wineries in one day? Well, let me tell you – we didn’t have any trouble.  I just sat back and relaxed and let the day take me away. Angela of iYellow Wine Club (which you all should join) planned a fantastic tour. She kept the bus atmosphere upbeat and fun. There were draws for prizes throughout the day and snacks.

Check out the iYellow Wine Club:
http://iyellowwineclub.com

Sign up! It’s completely free.

What’s so special about icewine? The obvious is that it’s a dessert wine. It’s sweet. The uniqueness is that grapes are left on the vine well past the regular harvest. The temperature has to reach a minimum of minus 8 degrees celsius for a period of time (three consecutive days). The water in the grapes freeze (but the sugar does not) so the flavours become very concentrated. The frozen grapes are picked in the middle of the night by hand (that’s rough for the workers I’d say). Each grape only contains only a few drops of juice so you need a lot more grapes to make a bottle of icewine compared to regular still wine. These are some of the reasons as to why icewine can be expensive. It’s such a labour of love.

Some people find icewine to be too sweet.  The trick is to leave it in your mouth longer than you normally would for regular wine. Sweetness is detected at the front of your tongue so by leaving the wine in your mouth longer, you’ll begin to notice all sorts of flavours develop.

A great explanation of icewine and the process:
http://www.inniskillin.com/en/ice/default.asp

For more information on the icewine festival:

http://www.legendsestates.com

Our first stop of the day was the Legends Estate Winery. The snow was falling and looking out into the vineyard, it was a beautiful sight. We had a treat at this winery – an icewine slushy served in a martini glass. Now that’s how I like to start my morning!  We also tried some wines from the “Truth or Dare” series. The labels from this series were done by a tattoo artist and were really funky. I liked the white blend called “Truth”.

http://www.creeksidewine.com

Creekside Winery was next. I’ve always wanted to go to this winery but somehow never made it. The barrel room was really cool. We sampled a Vidal icewine paired with roasted chestnuts. The wine was so luscious. After the barrel room (which I didn’t want to leave…ever) I stopped by the tasting room. I continued my quest for sweet goodness with a sample of their Riesling icewine. Yum! Below is a short video taken inside the barrel room at Creekside.

http://www.flatrockcellars.com

After Creekside we continued our journey to Flat Rock Cellars. The owner of the winery gave us such an enthusiastic tour. I was clinging on to his every word. He spoke with such passion and conviction.  He explained his gravity flow winery and all the processes that are involved in the making of wine. We had the Sweet Revenge Vidal icewine which was surprisingly not as sweet as some other Vidals I’ve had before. It had some nice acidity to it.  I later tried some still wines and the one I enjoyed the most out of the ones tasted was the Gravity Pinot Noir.

Flat Rock has a really cool program called “in the winemakers’s boots”. You can go during some key times of the year to get your hands dirty at the various stages of winemaking. I’m definitely going to check it out. On the way out, we had a chance to roast some homemade marshmellows in the outside fire pit. They were divine squishy squares. Sugar is so great…

http://www.tawsewinery.ca

The next stop was Tawse. This is an organic and biodynamic facility. I’ll have to do a blog post about biodynamic practices…they seem pretty kooky yet have a strong following. I love the Chardonnay coming out of this winery so I was excited to try their icewine. Two treats at Tawse. One, we did the tastings in the library which was pretty cool and second, we didn’t try just one icewine…we tried three! Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc were on the menu.  My favourite was the Chardonnay icewine which was barrel aged. It was delicious! It was the highlight of my day. On our way out, I made a small stop at the tasting bar to try the Robyn’s Block Chardonnay (lovely!).  I should mention that you can buy free-range eggs at the winery from their own chickens. Bawk Bawk!

This tasting note is about two grape varieties that we don’t see often, if at all. I was excited to try wines made from them. We’re so used to Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay dominating the shelves, it’s refreshing to try a little something out of the ordinary. I chose the title “New grapes on the block” as a tribute to my recent sighting of New Kid on the Block member Donnie Wahlberg. He was on one of my most recent flights back to Toronto from LA. I wonder if he’d enjoy these wines…

Marechal Foch – a red grape variety that survives winters well and ripens early. This grape was grown widely in the Loire Valley of France but is now popular in Canada and New York. It is a French hybrid grape which means that it was bred using one parent from an American vine species and one parent from the European Vinifera (the most common species of vine to produce grapes for wine) vine species.

Mencia – a red grape variety grown widely in the north western part of Spain. It is the same grape as the Portuguese grape Jaen. It was once thought to have been related to Cabernet Franc but DNA tests (sounds very CSI) disproved that theory. Generally produces a light, fragrant wine best for early consumption but the quality of grape growing and winemaking have increased the quality of the wines that this grape produces.

Malivoire Albert’s Honour Old Vines Foch 2008 (Ontario) $24.95

I was pleasantly surprised with this wine! It had great body and flavour with a really smooth taste and great fruit flavour. The tasting note on the Malivoire website says:

“Dark purple in the glass, the nose infers plum jam, raisin, juniper, spice box and autumn leaves. Silky smooth on the palate, intense flavours point to, dark roast coffee, wild blueberry, and vanilla, leaving a characteristically long, savoury finish. “

http://www.malivoire.com

I’d have to agree. The fruit is from vines aged over 30 years.  I was hesitant to try this wine only because from my past experiences, I never really liked wines made with the hybrid Marechal Foch grape. Well, I’m drinking my words now. This wine has been aged in American Oak, some of which were new barrels.

Gaba do Xil Mencia 2008 (Spain) $15.95

This wine has been really popular in the tasting room at the Summerill LCBO. I didn’t love it but I did enjoy it for what it was. It’s just easy drinking wine. It’s dry and fruity and has pronounced acidity which livens up the mouth. It’s filled with black cherry, strawberry flavours with some spiciness. Ole! I think for the money, you’re getting some good wine that is an overall crowd pleaser. This wine is from the Valdeorras region in Spain which more is inland than the cooler climate of Rias Baixas (home of some fabulous whites made with the Albarino grape). This region is also influenced by the effects of the Atlantic Ocean.  The red and white wines from both Rias Baixas and Valdeorras are light and crisp. Perfect for spring and summer patios and BBQs! Which reminds me, I should really lighten up on the wine tasting if I’m going to try to fit into that bikini this summer. 🙂

I recently attended the Vintages Bordeaux Meets Burgundy tasting at the King Edward Meridian hotel in downtown Toronto. This is the tasting event that I look forward to every year.  Not only is it a great way to taste wines from classic French regions but the food is always fabulous and plentiful! Last year’s event only featured wines from Burgundy. I have to say that I wasn’t overly impressed with this year’s Burgundy setup at the show. The show last year had many more diverse wines to try and some of the winemakers were there pouring their wines.  Nevertheless, there were some interesting finds. This year they were also conducting a silent auction of wine gift baskets. Because I’m a sucker for packaging, I made sure to put in my bid on a few of them. I wanted those leather journals and corkscrews that came with the wine. Sadly I didn’t win. Someone outbid me at the last second. Oh well, the last thing I needed was more wine in the house!  Whenever I enter the room of a tasting event, I always become a bit overwhelmed because of the high number of wines that are being poured and the limited time I have to try them.  This year I tried a different strategy. Usually everyone starts off with the white wines so those tables are always crowded. I decided to do the unthinkable – gasp! I started with the red! Not just any red – Burgundian Grand Crus. I started straight from the top. 🙂 Well, the strategy didn’t end up working for long.  I eventually just mixed it all up – red, white…no dessert wines yet though. I always save those until the end. I ended up treating this tasting more as a social event. The last big tasting I went to was the Bordeaux event at the Four Seasons and it was really hard work. I left that tasting with my teeth feeling like they were beaten up in an back alley somewhere. I decided to just take it easy and have fun at this one. It didn’t bother me that I didn’t make my way through the entire booklet of wines to taste. I even went and had seconds (okay, also some thirds!) of some wines that I just enjoyed drinking.

Some of my personal highlights of the night:


Chateau Suduiraut 2006 Sauternes
$49 for 375 ml (Bordeaux)

Chateau Margaux 2006
$799 (Bordeaux)

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2005
$995 (Bordeaux)

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2006
$109 (Bordeaux)

Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2005
$169 (Burgundy)

Fernand & Laurent Pillot Pommard Les Charmots 1er Cru 2006
$79 (Burgundy)

Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2006
$159 (Burgundy)

I wanted to try the Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2005 but I forgot to go back to get a sample! Imagine that. I like saying the name. It sounds very aristocratic – Com-te-sse de La-lande. Perhaps a character from the movie “Dangerous Liasons”.

I can honestly say that I’ve never tasted so many expensive wines before. These were some pretty high prices! $995…$799… Did they taste that expensive?  They were delicious wines but for that money, they didn’t do anything miraculous to me like make me grow to be my desired 5’11 or bring me a truck load of Jimmy Choo handbags.  For those prices, I could have a small collection of some great wines.  I could certainly purchase an airplane ticket and go to Bordeaux myself. Chances of me getting into some of the grand estates for a visit would be slim, unless The Yummy Grape becomes a worldwide sensation! It would be fun to get a group of people to purchase a bottle of one of those wines above and enjoy a thimble of a taste. 🙂 How much is too much to pay for wine? Is there even such a thing? Who are these people that are purchasing these wines for such prices? How does one get invited to their place for dinner?

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