“He Looks Like a Burned Out Old Hippy”

Posted on June 14, 2012 by thewineraconteur

That was a statement I heard from a lady talking to her companion after meeting the gregarious Jim Prager of Prager Winery and Port Works.  We entered a very quaint tasting room and retail shop, and everybody’s whispers could be shared by the room, because there was very little space to be by your self.   The building if by design or just outgrowth was a very eclectic hodge-podge of wine and everything else.  Everywhere you looked there were coins, tokens and currency from world-wide visitors to this establishment.

 

He may have looked like an old hippy, but to me he personified the individualism of the winemakers and the dreamers of an early Napa Valley.  To have the dedication and desire to create Port wines in the classic style requires time, patience and the economic ability to achieve these hopes.

There were signs that said “Our wines are only sold at the winery and can be shipped.”  A true maverick who enjoyed being with his customers to regale them with stories of his artistry and his individualism.  The day that we were there he was pouring a ’95 Cabernet Sauvignon, a ’94 Aria White Port, a “Summer Port,” a ’95 Royal Escort Vintage Port, a Noble Companion Ten Year Old Tawny Port, a ’97 Sweet Claire (a late harvest Johannisberg Riesling) and a ’94 La Croix Zinfandel.  He also had for sale his Prager Chocolate Drizzle, Mousse Balls and a large selection of quality cigars that would be perfect with a Port wine.

 

As the owner and the winemaker, he was very proud of his products.  The “Summer Port” was in celebration of his twentieth anniversary.  His Royal Escort was his fifth “vintage’ Port in twenty years made from Petite Sirah grapes.  His Noble Companion Ten Year Old Port was made from Cabernet Sauvignon and he claimed that he made it to be enjoyed with a good cigar.  The Sweet Claire was a classic late harvest dessert wine, and his Zinfandel was a well aged unpretentious wine that he produced for casual dining.  As I said he was very gregarious and loved to talk about his goods, as it should be.  Looking at our purchase log of this trip we ended up with two mixed cases that had the Royal Escort, Noble Companion, Aria, Sweet Claire and the Cabernet Sauvignon.  From the tasting, these are the wines that we enjoyed the most.

 

A couple of years later, our friends that we went to Napa Valley with on this trip, returned for another vacation and brought us a beautiful laser-etched and painted bottle of Sweet Claire.

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Domaine Chandon

Posted on June 13, 2012 by thewineraconteur

 

The first French owned winery in California is by Moet & Chandon, called Domaine Chandon.  A beautiful designed winery that blends into the hillside and the environment.  I wish that I could show you the pictures that we took, but we had one of those disposable panoramic cameras (where you take the whole camera in to have the pictures developed, unfortunately the camera was defective and we lost some great pictures).

 

This new winery was built with all state-of-the-art equipment, but with the desire to maintain the Methode Champenoise.  This brand new facility was sculpted into the setting for a serene setting even with the tumult of the harvest season.

 

We took a tour of the grounds and the winemaking process, and all the discussions of how they were being ecologically sound with sustainable agriculture and land stewardship.  They also had a magnificent terrace with grand mountain views, a salon (the wine tasting room) and a four star restaurant that featured “modern French cuisine with a California accent” where all of the food was designed to pair wonderfully with “Champagnes.”

 

We took advantage of the restaurant’s art to enjoy several plates of hors d’oeuvres to munch on, during the tasting flight that Domaine Chandon was offering that day.  We enjoyed Duck Foie Blond Pate, Hamachi Carpaccio, Home Smoked Salmon Tartare and Home Smoked Trout.

 

I have to admit, I enjoyed the appetizers more than the wines, which were all excellent, but I am not a major Champagne maven.   My Bride enjoys the “sparkly” more than I, which is fine for both of us.

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St. Supery

Posted on June 12, 2012 by thewineraconteur

I remember trying a St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon in a restaurant on a business trip to Chicago and thought it was a great value.  When I got home, I had no luck finding any of the wines.  So when we were making our plans, this was a winery that was on my to-do list.

 

Since it was harvest time, we did a self-guided tour, so we could take extra time watching the bee-hive activity.  The owner was from a wine family with production in the south of France and in Algeria, came to Napa Valley and liked what he saw.  After our stroll, we entered the tasting room.

 

We tasted nine different wines from my notes.  A house red, a Zinfandel Rose, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, a Moscato, a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc.  They also had two Meritage wines, a red and a white.  It was a lively tasting with a lot of discussion back and forth on the virtue of the different wines.  I was also surprised at a couple of the choices my Bride insisted on, as they were out of her normal likes.

 

The two Meritage wines were outstanding and I knew that we would be leaving with some of these, especially looking forward to having them during a dinner party.  The Cabernet Sauvignon was as good as I remembered it, and then I was informed that there was also a ‘91 Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon that was not being offered during the tasting.  Well information like that, I was a fish caught hook, line and sinker.  I knew we had to get some of that as well.  My opinion was that it was a no-brainer, even without tasting the wine that it would be great, especially cellared.

We bought some of the Sauvignon Blanc and some Chardonnay as well.  What surprised me was that my Bride wanted to buy some of the Zinfandel Rose and the Moscato.  The rose was spicy and had a tinge of sweetness and the Moscato was a luscious dessert wine.  These are not wines that my Bride normally gravitates to, but that is the wonder of wine.

 

There is always a new taste to discover and to savor.  One can be cavalier in selecting wines and be a winner, and even better when you find that you like it more in a quieter setting than a tasting room.

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The Hess Collection and a Flaming Underwood Typewriter

Posted on June 11, 2012 by thewineraconteur

Since we were staying in the City of Napa, one of the first wineries we visited was about ten miles away on Mount Veeder.  I had never tasted any of their wines as I had never encountered them back home, but I had heard that it was one I shouldn’t miss.

 

The Hess Collection proudly proclaims Donald Hess’s two passions-wine and art.  I had booked reservations for the tasting room, and the tour of the winery was self-guided.

 

We started at the information desk to confirm our tasting reservation and then proceeded onto our tour.  There was a classic storage of wine barrels resting in the classic manner of the great wineries of France.  We then went up a flight of stairs and watched a short film on the winery and Mr. Hess’s philosophy, and then we entered the first of two art galleries.  This gallery was more traditional in scope, but still contemporary.

 

Up another flight of stairs to observe the fermentation tanks, and since we were there during harvest there was activity all around us.  We then entered the second art gallery, which was much more modern.  Mr. Hess’s collection of art was very contemporary and a bit modern to my liking.  The piece I remember the most was an Underwood Typewriter with a continuous flame shooting upward where the paper that had been typed on would have been.  We then went to another area where you could see part of the vineyard and the mountain terrain, and then into a room where they were doing the bottling and applying the labels and packing the wines for shipment.

 

We then went downstairs for our tasting.  We had their Chardonnay, two different Merlots and two different Meritage wines.  My notes from the tasting say that the Chardonnay had just a touch of oak and nuts to the taste.  The Merlot wines both had a touch of oak and chocolate, very full and satisfying.  The ’94 Meritage was their pride and joy and it justified the more than double the price of the ’93 Meritage, but both were fruity and spicy and were exactly what one would expect from a Meritage blend.  After the tasting we ended up in the Winery store and we purchased everything that we had tasted.

 

I looked forward to trying these again in the years to come, and have not been unsatisfied with my selections.  Since this trip, we have been pleased to be able to purchase The Hess Collections wines locally and in some of the better restaurants.

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Bouchon

Posted on June 10, 2012 by thewineraconteur

In France it means a cork, in Yountville, Napa Valley it is the name of Thomas Keller’s bistro.  Thomas Keller is a name that is respected by gourmets and “foodies’ alike.  Thomas Keller has The French Laundry in Yountville, but that is another story.  Today we talk about his bistro.

After a hard day at assorted tasting bars, a fine meal is mandatory.  One night we found ourselves in Bouchon (actually we had reservations, which I would suggest).  The building was originally a stagecoach shop built in the 1800’s.  It had been transformed into a bistro, a setting that Thomas Keller has stated that he enjoys.  While a bistro is a much more informal concept of dining the food is taken very seriously.  The evening’s menu was wrapped around our napkin which was wrapped around our silverware.

 

Of course one had to start off with the Terrine of Duck Foie Gras and a plate of Charcuterie.  There were many decisions to be made, from seafood and salads to cheeses served with a honeycomb.  There were side dishes that were all comfort foods including his take on macaroni and cheese.  There were ten entrees that evening to choose from and since it was a bistro, I decided to have a “simple” dish that would go with the comfort food concept.  I ordered the Roasted Chicken Basquaise with a sweet pepper stew and French country ham.  My Bride had Black Bass Provencal in a saffron tomato broth. Even though these sound simple in concept when they arrived they had an “ooh” factor in both presentation and taste.  I remember that we had some side dishes and a cheese course and of course we had to make sure that we had room for dessert.

I am sorry to inform you that I do not remember the wines we had for dinner, but I do remember that they were very well priced, almost to being retail in price.  I am sure that led me to go overboard on a selection of a wine that up to that point we had not tasted at a winery, but it was a local wine.  After all why order a French wine when one is in the heart of Napa Valley.

 

 

Since that evening we have been to the second Bouchon that opened in the Venetian-Resort- Hotel-Casino located in the Venezia Tower on the ninth floor, far from the maddening crowds of Las Vegas.  We also enjoyed a wonderful meal there with our children and grandchildren.  Thomas Keller has since opened a third Bouchon in Beverly Hills, California which we have not been to.

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Mumm(s) The Word

Posted on June 9, 2012 by thewineraconteur

OK, I couldn’t resist sounding a bit like a Damon Runyon character, on the day we made a trip to Mumm Napa Valley.  We stopped by, just in time to take a tour of the winery; they have several tours a day.  After all, any time can be a time to open a bottle of Champagne, actually a bottle of Methode Champenoise.  To be fair, only Champagne that legitimately comes from the proper delineated sections of France is Champagne.

Mumm Napa Valley is a joint affair between the famous G.H. Mumm Champagne house and Joseph E. Seagram & Sons.  During the tour they discussed how they quietly had a winemaker from the Champagne region go to different districts in the United States and make small runs of the wine.  They finally settled on Napa Valley and created a state-of-the-art facility.

The wine is made in the classic and traditional Methode Champenoise.  This way they can offer several classifications of the wine, based on the sugar that is added during the process, so one can have dry or semi-sweet.  They also make different types of the wine based on the grape selections.  It was a very informative tour, and then we finally ended up in the tasting room.  Are you not surprised?

Every now and then, it is fun to try different “champagnes.”  You may think that you prefer a certain type, and find out that another actually pleases you more.  When you are celebrating, one normally doesn’t buy several different bottles to party with.  So, if you get a chance to try some “champagnes” at one time, by all means do.  You will be pleased with the results.  I also remember that while we tasted the wines, I heard a very distinctive laugh from another table, I looked around, but I couldn’t see a familiar face.  I boldly yelled out a name and that person turned around from his party of friends; and I met someone I knew from Michigan out in California.  Sparkling wine brings out the best of people and good times.

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Pampering, Wine and Shopping

Posted on June 8, 2012 by thewineraconteur

One of the first things we did in Napa was to take a drive to the north end of the valley to Calistoga.  We were going to a spa.  I had never been to a spa before, and had never had a professional massage either.  The spa that we were going to had several types of massages, volcanic mud bath and a seaweed bath.

 

I have to admit I was out of my element and comfort level.  Restaurants and wineries I understood, this was a new experience and I was going along for a ride.  It was very tranquil which was a good start and we were in a reception area, when a young lady called my name, I guess it was my turn.  I look at this young lady, she had more tattoos than the famed “Lydia, the tattooed Ladya” of Groucho Marx fame.  Not only did she have more tattoos than a sailor, she had pierced jewelry beyond her ears, which I had never seen before.  I remember giving my Bride, one those “what have you got me into looks” and meekly followed.  I am sure that my Bride had wished that I would have had a different attendant.  Suffice it to say, that after an hour and a half of Swedish, Foot Reflexology and Acupressure massage, I had survived.  I could even overlook my first impressions of the young lady.  Then I was sent back to the reception area to wait for everyone else and they gave me water to hydrate.  I thought to myself “water,” I am here to hydrate with wine, but I acquiesced and soon our group was back together.

 

We walked up and down the streets of downtown Calistoga.  Stopping at different stores and shopping is a base requirement for my Bride when we are on holidays.  It is in one of the little curio shops that sold antiques and wine related goods that I had found my “tastevin” that I mentioned in one of my other pages.

 

We then decided on having lunch.  There was a little restaurant that was mentioned in the “Wine Enthusiast” magazine that I wanted to try, since we were in Calistoga.  I use the “Wine Enthusiast” as my restaurant guide wherever we travel to, by virtue of the fact that if it is listed as having good food and a good wine list then it is worth a try.  My only caveat with the “Enthusiast” listings; if it is a “chain” restaurant and we have one in the Detroit area, I do not need to go to another one.  I also really look forward to trying local restaurants.

We went into the Wappo Bar and Bistro, which was named after a local tribe of Indians of the area.  The entrees were an eclectic mix and they specialized in having local affordable wines, not to mention that they offered a duck dish for lunch (a sure thing to get my attention).  We enjoyed the meal; unfortunately I now understand that the restaurant has closed, so there will never be a repeat of this memory.

 

We had completed our visit to Calistoga, had lunch and now we were on to visit more wineries, which was why we were in Napa Valley in the first place.

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Plumpjack

Posted on June 7, 2012 by thewineraconteur

Queen Elizabeth dubbed Sir John Falstaff from Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” and the owners of a restaurant in San Francisco in the Fillmore district liked it and used it.  When we were at Caymus Winery, there was another group that was having a tasting at the same time.  One of men from the other group asked “Have you been to PlumpJack?”  I have to admit that I had never even heard of the winery.  He continued to tell me, that they have one wine that they were pouring, but if you pressed the issue, they had another selection that they keep down below.

The gentlemen gave us the address of this new winery, and when we completed our tasting and purchases at Caymus, we were off on a new adventure.  Armed with the address and our trusty “freebie” map of the valley, we found the road.  We drove back and forth on this road, studying every small sign or mailbox looking for the winery, with no luck.  Almost out of patience on this wild goose-hunt I saw a dirt road in the middle of a large vineyard (there was no signage at all) and we took a chance and turned on the dirt road.  There as we slowly went on this dirt road we encountered this very eclectic setting and finally saw a sign that proclaimed “PlumpJack.”  I looked at my Bride and said that I hoped that this was worth it.

There was a very small tasting room with a gift shop on the grounds.  We entered it, and we were the only ones there.  This was a similar feeling to when you walk into a restaurant that has been touted to you as great and you are the only ones present.   We were greeted very cordially and invited in for a tasting.  We had the one wine poured and enjoyed it.  As we could monopolize our host, being the only ones there, we explained how we arrived at their doorstep.  Lo and behold, our host reached below the counter of the tasting bar and produced another bottle PlumpJack Founders Reserve 1996.  I had really enjoyed the first glass of wine; this second glass far surpassed the first.  The color of both was quite similar, but that is where the family trait ended.  The nose and taste made the original wine an also-ran.

 

This was a great unexpected experience and one that I look forward to again.  One of the great pleasures that wine enjoyment can bring and it added another purchase to add to our growing cellar collection.

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Chanterelle – Voted Napa Valley’s Most Romantic Restaurant

Posted on June 6, 2012 by thewineraconteur

With a tag-line like that, we knew that we had to try this restaurant.  This series on Napa Valley will be interspersed with visits to restaurants, as this is part of the allure of Napa.  Quality food is integral to the Napa experience; it goes hand in glove with all the wonderful tastes of the day.  One would need a month, just to do all the fine dining establishments and one would still feel that many more were missed.  Doesn’t that sound like a terrible position to be in, one one’s holidays? Napa Valley at one time may have been a sleepy little community in Northern California, but it is not any longer.

After a hard day of wine tasting, we had to unwind each evening with a great dinner.  Since we were staying in the city of Napa, we had to have dinner in our “home” town.

 

When we got to the restaurant we decided to take a table outside, and how pleasant it was.  One did not have the feeling of being in a city, but at a very fine resort away from the hectic urban life and traffic.  We sat out on a veranda type balcony overlooking a valley or ravine, as the City of Napa was quite high overlooking the valley.  As I seem to recall there were bridges and ramps connecting an assortment of businesses on the backside over the ravine.  The menu offered a good range of appetizers and soups.  The entrees all sounded wonderful and it was a hard decision (they offered several choices of fish and seafood, chicken and duck (very hard for me to pass on) lamb and filets.

 

We started off with Ahi Nicoise and Dungeness Crab and shared each other’s appetizers.  Then I had the French Onion Soup, while my Bride had Caesar Salad (a side note, that I never order a Caesar Salad, because my Bride make’s the best Caesar dressing, so why should I be disappointed).  Next my Bride had the Chilean Sea Bass and I had the Filet of Venison and then we shared dessert.  We had been to the Hess Collection Winery that afternoon so we ordered a bottle of their Chardonnay.  We will be discussing Hess another day.  Then we had a bottle of the Hess Meritage to finish dinner and into the night.  The food was wonderful; a great choice for the restaurant, and the wines further enhanced the dining experience.  The only thing missing was a dance floor, to cap off the evening

So if and when you do go to Napa Valley, after you make your reservations for wine tasting sessions and tours, make sure that you also make reservations for dinner as well.  More wineries and more restaurants, still to come.

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Caymus and Conundrum

Posted on June 6, 2012 by thewineraconteur

A conundrum is an enigma, a puzzle, a mystery or a riddle.  Conundrum on the label humbly states that it is a California White Table Wine.  The Wagner family has a proprietary blend that makes this wine, much more than a white wine.  When we went to the winery we learned that the Wagner family firmly believes less is more.  There were five wines to taste, very short and sweet.

 

They started of with a 1997 Pinot Noir Blanc, which was 100% Pinot Noir and it was very dry and very pleasant.  Prior to getting to the winery, I only knew that they made a Cabernet Sauvignon (I guess I should have done more homework for the trip).  Then they served a 1997 Sauvignon Blanc with 10% Chardonnay that had a lush taste for this type of wine, that sometimes seems lacking with some vintners.  I recently checked their current offerings, and these first two wines are not being produced any more at the Caymus Winery.

 

The next wine that was poured was a 1996 Conundrum, and it was the first time I had the pleasure of tasting this wine.  I had heard about it, but never tried it, shame on me.  It is still one of my go-to wines, because it has a taste that seems to work with any dish, including spicy, hence its name.  It is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Semillon and Viognier.  I find it so refreshing that I keep going back for more.

 

The next wine was a 1996 Zinfandel (which had 16% Petite Syrah).  I have never been a fan of Zin, but I was surprised at the suppleness and the nuances of flavor that this wine showed.  I developed a new appreciation for the old work horse grape of California.

 

Finally they poured the 1996 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and it had a nose and a taste that would make most of their neighbors envious.  It was robust and ready to be drunk, but they also figured that it would age for another fifteen years and mellow out and have all the characteristics of a classic aged Cab.

 

There was no Caymus Special Select made in 1996 or 1993.  They still had some of the 1995 but they were not offering it as part of the tasting.  This is the one that people always talk about and rightfully so.  We bought the 1995 to cellar and enjoyed it, as one would enjoy a First Growth Bordeaux, it was that good.  My only complaint is that try as I might the labels on the bottles are impossible to remove, they dissolve and become an utter mess, hence no visual memories to look back on.

 

There are not too many times when you can go into a winery and get five “wows” with five wines.

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