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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The Napa Valley Wine Train

Posted on June 4, 2012 by thewineraconteur

“The World’s Most Elegant Train” is the way they tout themselves.  I have never ridden on the Orient Express, so I will take their word for it, but it is a very nice ride.  We decided that it would be a great way to see part of the valley and have lunch.  The valley is not that big, it goes from the city of Napa to St. Helena and back.  We booked the Vista Dome, the “first class” seating area with a full lunch.

 

It was a great way to get a feeling for the west side of the valley, as we went through Yountville, Oakville, and Rutherford before arriving at St. Helena.  You could look out the windows and see some of the wineries like Domaine Chandon, Far Niente, Robert Mondavi, Niebaum/Coppola and GrgichHills.  Just a nice slow ride there and back again, while being pampered the entire time.

 

For lunch we both had Seared Classic Foie Gras, followed with a Baby Lettuce Bouquet salad.  Then I had a classic Filet Mignon with a cabernet/veal demi-glace and my Bride had Sterling Sturgeon with a Champagne Beurre Blanc Sauce.  Then I had Crème Brulee and she ordered Bourbon Vanilla Cheesecake.  We had a bottle of one of my favorite wines Cain Cuvee; my Bride doesn’t mind a red wine with a heartier fish like the sturgeon.  They also had their own branded wines on the wine list.   A great meal, even more impressive that it was on a train and Amtrak should take lessons from them.

 

 

Afterwards we went to one of the club cars on the train and did a wine tasting of some of the Napa wines.  As I recall, they had two different tasting events going; one of popular price wines and one with “collectable” wines.  We attended the latter, I unfortunately don’t have my notes from the tasting, but I remember that I was not wowed by any of the selections.  Of course, after having the Cain, the other wines paled in comparison.

 

As a side note, as I am looking at my souvenirs from the Wine Train, I see that reservations and prepayment were required when we went, so I would presume that is still the course.  They also offered dinner packages, a deli-car fare, brunch excursions and theme excursions.  If you are spending a couple of days in Napa, I would recommend this highly for a nice meal and just to look at the valley without cars all around you.

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A Leisurely Lunch

Posted on June 3, 2012 by thewineraconteur

It was harvest time, and I took time to pick some grapes.  I have never tasted such sweet grapes in my entire life.  I really could not stop popping those grapes into my mouth; it was like eating sugar cubes off of the vine.  I now understood what the all fuss was about concentrated sugar.  The grapes seemed to be at least four times sweeter and juicier than any grape I had ever encountered.  At one point it was pointed out that I may wipe out the entire crop for a winery, but I do think that was an exaggeration.  So if you are out at any winery during harvest, do yourself a favor and pick a few grapes and round out your wine education.

 

 

We stopped at V.Sattui Winery, which was probably around a hundred years in business at the time.  The winery not only had wines for sale, but a huge delicatessen where one could buy breads, lunchmeats and desserts.  There were tables set up for dining or snacking and they also had a large area of picnic tables on the grounds to enjoy these purchases.  There was also information that the grounds could be rented for private parties and weddings.  It would be a memorable place to have a wedding, as it was so picturesque.

 

 

We started in the tasting room.  We opted for the premium tasting as I recall they had two different tasting levels and sampled the wares that they were pouring.  The tasting room was a bee hive of activity, as there were multiple tasting groups, and there were also people having lunch or snacks in the back.  Everyone was having fun.  I found the wines to be more earthy and rustic compared to some of the other wineries that we had been to.  This was very refreshing and showed that not all the wineries were cookie-cut imitations of each other.  The staff, very knowledgeable of the winery and its history seemed to be having as much fun as the visitors.  That was very commendable and put everyone at ease.  I really enjoyed the red wines that were deep in color, very intense nose and a robust taste.

 

 

We then proceeded to the deli area, and everyone started ordering salads, bread, sandwiches and some hot plates as well.  I was very impressed with their Cabernet Sauvignon and bought some, we did enjoy one with our lunch out on the grounds.  It was also a good time to double-check our plans for other wineries to visit and to discuss what we had already encountered.  It was a most pleasant way to spend lunch and relax a bit.

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The Desk, Oscars and Rubicon

Posted on June 2, 2012 by thewineraconteur

“Bonasera, Bonasera” were the two words I immediately thought of as I gazed at this desk.  It was THE DESK, where a man petted a cat, while listening to “I believe in America.”  All that was separating me and that desk was a rope fence and probably an army of guards.  We were at the film museum at the Niebaum/Coppola Estate.  Francis Ford Coppola gave himself second billing to the original Niebaum Winery, yes that Francis Ford Coppola.

 

When we were planning the trip to Napa, I found out that you could go to the winery and do a tasting, or if you planned ahead what wonders awaited you.  The special reserve booking gave you a tour of the grounds, you could see his residence way in the back, the fountains, his editing studio and his museum.  The entire estate was a museum and they made wine there as well.  There were displays of old original equipment that made the earliest films.  A zoetrope was there, that his production company is named after.  There were Oscars and more Oscars on display, and rightfully earned.  On the second floor there were big movie props. There was a Tucker automobile, a piece of artwork from Dracula, a wicker cage from Apocalypse Now and that desk from the Godfather films.

 

After the tour and we had worked up a thirst, we were taken to one of the original wine cellars of the old estate, with old dusty bottles and the ambience that could not be totally captured on film.  There was a Riedel wine glass, etched with the crest and name in gold, at each seating area.  Our guide and host for the tasting gave us a history of the estate and how Mr. Copolla finally had acquired all of the original ground of the original estate, and how he wanted to maintain the authenticity of the grounds and structures.

 

They then proceeded to pour a taste of every wine that was produced, quite a monumental tasting, though I admit that I did “spit” out most of the wine.  Some were very humble, almost rustic, as if recalling the days of homemade wines.  Through different collections of wines, we tasted and then culminating with a full pour of Rubicon.  That was what I was waiting for.  In the normal general tasting room, they did not do Rubicon, and I did want to try that wine.  Rubicon is what is referred to as a Meritage, but they do not belong to the Meritage Society.  A Meritage wine is akin to Bordeaux blended claret and usually the best the vintner has to offer.  It was wonderful, a deep color, a complex nose, a robust taste and after-taste, just what I had hoped for.   I truly felt that I had wisely spent my money on this tour and tasting event.  As I nursed that last glass and listened to all the conversations about this wine, I came to the realization that the other people were there, just to taste that wine as well.

 

The grounds, the building, the museum, and the fabulous old cellar/tasting room was indeed worth the price of admission.  Then we started figuring out the wines that we wish to purchase at that moment.  We ordered some bottles of the Chardonnay, Viognier, and the Diamond Merlot and of course some Rubicon.  While they were processing our order, and I was finishing the last of the wine and feeling quite pleased, our tour guide host said to each of us “please take your glass home as a souvenir.”  A very pleasant bonus, and it is usually the glass that I use for all of my dinners, even when everyone else has matching glasses to go with the china.  I am reminded of that afternoon, all the time.

 

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