Napa Valley

[Mary]

I'm going to Napa Valley for a second time in September. I was there last July for the first time.

I would love to hear recommendations on your favorite wineries to visit. I'm not so interested in tours (did that last time), but great wine. A little gem called Casa Nuestra is my current favorite out there. Chardonnay is the only wine that I'm not crazy about. We are driving and plan on stocking up!

Thanks in advance for your suggestions! Cheers, Mary

[KatieLoeb]

Sinskey. Goosecross Cellars. V. Arroyo. ZD. Silverado. Artesa. Cakebread. Chappellet. Long Vineyards. Darioush. Duckhorn. Havens Cellars/Franus Wine Company (they share a facility). Merryvale (if only to taste the "Profile"). Chateau Montelena (the grounds are beautiful).

I could go on but this ought to get you started.

[Really Nice!]

Mary, welcome to Egullet!

Your reference to Casa Nuestra Winery caught my eye as that's a winery I've been wanting to hit.

Here is the itinerary for the trip I had planned for September, but had to cancel. This will be the first year in five that I haven't visited The French Laundry.

The ones in blue are wineries I've visited more than once and return to on each visit.

I plan my 'attack on the valley' by geography. You can get a lot more accomplished by focusing on specific areas than you can by ping ponging back and forth.

Monday

South Napa

Usually I arrive early afternoon so there isn't a lot of time for more than one or two wineries.

Nicholson Ranch http://www.nicholsonranch.com

4200 Napa Road Sonoma, CA 95476 Tel: (707) 938-8822

Domaine Carneros http://www.domaine.com

1240 Duhig Road Napa, CA 94559

JR's Wine Shop: Take winery list and scope out prices. Usually it's cheaper here than at the winery.

http://www.jvwineandspirits.com/

426 First Street, Napa, CA

TOLL FREE (877) 4-MYWINE

Tuesday

North Silverado Trail

Calistoga Cellars http://www.calistogacellars.com

1170 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga CA 94515 888.393.WINE

10AM - 4:30PM, Closed Tuesday & Wednesday By appointment only

Vincent Arroyo Winery http://www.vincentarroyowinery.com

2361 Greenwood Ave., Calistoga, CA 94515

Tastings: 10:00 - 5:00 daily

Zahtila Vineyards http://www.zahtilavineyards.com

2250 Lake County Hwy, Calistoga, CA 94515

Tastings: 10 - 5 daily Tastings by appointment 707.942.9251

On the edge http://www.onthedgewinery.com

1255 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga California 94515

Tastings: Sunday- Thursday 10-5:30ish Friday - Saturday 10 - 8ish

Silver Rose Cellers http://www.silverrose.com

400 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, CA 94515

Tastings: 10:00 - 5:00 daily Open to public

Dutch Henry Winery http://www.dutchhenry.com

4310 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, California 94515

Tastings: 10:00 - 5:00 daily Appointments preferred 707.942.5771

Sterling Vineyards http://www.sterlingvyds.com

1111 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515

Tastings: 10:30 - 4:30 daily Tours: By appointment Phone: 707.942.3344

Casa Nuestra Winery http://www.casanuestra.com

3451 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena, CA 94574

Tastings: 10:00 - 5:00 daily Tours: By appointment Toll Free: 866-844-9463

Robert Sinskey Vineyards http://www.robertsinskey.com

6320 Silverado Trail Yountville, CA 94599 707.944.9090

Wednesday

CA 29

Niebaum Coppola - Oakville Olive Oil Company

Sullivan Vineyards http://www.sullivanwine.com/

Register for tasting online

1090 Galleron Road, Rutherford, California 94573 877-244-7337

Flora Springs - Dean and Deluca

Prager

Beringer - CIA

Thursday

Oakville Grade and Sonoma

Hess Collection

Chateau Potelle

Ledson Winery & Vineyards http://www.ledson.com

7335 Sonoma Highway Kenwood, CA 95452 tel. +1 800.539.2331

Open daily 10:00am - 5:00pm

Chateau St. Jean

8555 Sonoma Hwy Kenwood, CA 95452

Family Wineries of Sonoma County Tasting Room

About five or six wineries are here.

9200 Sonoma Highway Kenwood, CA 95452 800.833.2882

Friday

South Silverado Trail

Luna Vineyards http://www.lunavineyards.com

2921 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558

10:00 - 5:00 daily Tastings by appointment Phone: 707.255.2474

Regusci http://www.regusciwinery.com

5584 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558

10:00 - 5:00 daily Open to the public

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars http://www.stagsleapwinecellars.com

5766 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558

10:00AM - 4:30 PM Daily

Pine Ridge Winery http://www.pineridgewinery.com

5901 Silverado Trail Napa CA 94558 (800) 575-9777

Silver Oak http://www.silveroak.com

915 Oakville Crossroad, Oakville, CA 94562

Monday through Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Return to JR's Wine Shop and purchase wines.

Edited by the welcome committee.

Edited August 18, 2004 by Really Nice! (log)

[tanabutler]

Find out where Carolyn Tillie is working when you're there, and visit her at one of her wineries. She's one of eGullet's best sources for All Things Napa. If you're lucky, she'll introduce you to her pet wine vine.

[Artichoke]

I was last in Napa over Christmas and New Years. Two lesser known wineries I would suggest are Summers and Pride. I have attached links to both of their web sites.

Summers is one of my favorites. Like a lot of the Napa wineries before they became discovered, Summers consists of what is basically a shack in front of their vinyards. The owner is inside pouring wine and is incredibly friendly. If you are interested in purchassing he will simply take you out back to the storage room to see what he has in stock. It is just a great, very informal winery with some fantastic wines.

They are one of the only vinyards in the country growing the charbono grape and their charbono wine is the best thing they offer, I always have a case on hand in my apartment. It is a rather mysterious grape whose orgins are debated, some say Northern Italy, some say southern France, it is fairly difficult to find it in Europe anymore. It produces a wine that is dark and plum colored. The taste is rich, full bodied, velvety, a lot of black cherry and blackberry flavor and the taste lingers in your mouth for a long time. They recently issued their 2002 vintage which retails for $24, I think they produced something like 900 cases. In addition to charbono, they also produce merlot, zinfandel, chevalier noir (65% Napa valley cabernet and 35% Knights Valley merlot), chardonnay and cabernet.

The other vinyard I love is Pride Mountain. It is not as small as Summers but also a very modestly sized 170 acre estate that is one of the most stunning in the area. In order to get to it you drive up and around a mountain with the vinyard located at the summit. At the top you have a beautiful view of St. Helena mountain and the vinyards. You have to call to make an appointment to visit. The caves are amazing, built under the hillside and oprning out into a glass enclosed space that gives you beautiful views of northern Napa and the vineyards. Their wines are great, but a bit expensive, their 2001 Cabernet is sold for $56, but is delicious, big (14% alcohol) rich with lots and lots of dark berry taste. They also produce merlot, cabernet franc, viognier, chardonnay, a reserve cabernet and a reserve claret.

Summers Winery

Pride Mountain Vineyards

[Carolyn Tillie]

Find out where Carolyn Tillie is working when you're there, and visit her at one of her wineries. She's one of eGullet's best sources for All Things Napa. If you're lucky, she'll introduce you to her pet wine vine.

Thank you, Tana! Don't know how I missed this thread earlier...

By all means, come up and visit me! I work at Ladera Vineyards (a little-known boutique Cabernet producer on Howell Mountain). I have been providing a chronicle of the growth of a vine here on our wine blog. It will show you some pictures of our 1886 building. We don't have a tasting room yet, which means that I bring guests into the cave and pull tasting samples from the barrels!

Also, if you tell me what kind of wine you like, I am happy to help recommend other places that will fit your bill!

[Mary]

I am most grateful to all of you for your suggestions! I have a rather long list now - maybe I should stay a couple extra days... Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time.

Carolyn: thank you for your help! My favorites are Pinot Noir and Viognier - I know, tricky in Napa. I prefer reds to whites, not a big fan of spicy reds though.

Thanks much, Mary

[melkor]

My favorites are Pinot Noir and Viognier - I know, tricky in Napa. I prefer reds to whites, not a big fan of spicy reds though.

Your best bets in the area area Pride for Viognier and Sinskey for Pinot.

[KatieLoeb]

My favorites are Pinot Noir and Viognier - I know, tricky in Napa. I prefer reds to whites, not a big fan of spicy reds though.

Your best bets in the area area Pride for Viognier and Sinskey for Pinot.

Goosecross Cellars also makes Viognier. And they're a stone's throw from Robert Sinskey and their awesome Pinot Noirs. Visiting these two wineries on your way to turn northward onto Silverado Trail is a good afternoon's worth of tasting. In order, I'd do Goosecross, Sinskey, V. Arroyo and Chateau Montelena. Find a Napa wineries map and you'll see what an easy swing this would be.

[Really Nice!]

Find a Napa wineries map and you'll see what an easy swing this would be.

This should do it...

Napa Valley.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Find a Napa wineries map and you'll see what an easy swing this would be.

This should do it...

Napa Valley.

The *small* problem with this (and a few other maps), is that we (Ladera) are still listed as Chateau Woltner on the map -- the guys that produce these maps are reluctant to fix them for some reason...

and we changed names FOUR years ago!

[Really Nice!]

How's this one?

Winery finder.

[Carolyn Tillie]

How's this one?

Winery finder.

Actually, I appreciate you showing me the other one... it is one of my "projects" to get the maps fixed but there are so many producers, it is hard to find all of them. I phoned the ones you posted previously immediately and advised them to fix their map.

Cheers!

[winesonoma]

Most publishers will not fix it till the next printing. Why should they recall sold products cause you changed your name. Maps are only as good as the day they printed.

[Really Nice!]

Maps are only as good as the day they printed.

Okay, it's a Friday afternoon and I'm bored at work so I'll pick a nit with this.

So my map drawn by Americus Vespucius and printed just today is still good today?

Okay, like I said, I'm bored. Sorry.

Here's another one you can call.

And Ladera is not in this list from winecountry.com.

[winesonoma]

Maps are only as good as the day they printed.

Okay, it's a Friday afternoon and I'm bored at work so I'll pick a nit with this.

So my map drawn by Americus Vespucius and printed just today is still good today?

Okay, like I said, I'm bored. Sorry.

Here's another one you can call.

And Ladera is not in this list from winecountry.com.

They must charge a pretty penny to be on that. I was talking about the ones in the Hotel lobbies, Restaurents and wine stores that are for sale. Most people don't bring laptops on vacation. (I do). Thats funny that map dosen't list The French Laundry as a place to eat in Yountville.

Edited August 21, 2004 by winesonoma (log)