Behind the Vines

Napa Highlights and Disappointments

by Farley on June 28th, 2008

A couple of weeks ago, some of my co-workers and I planned a day of winetasting in Napa Valley. Miguel, our fearless leader, set up some appointments for us and we all loaded up baskets with cheeses, salads, fruit, and such. First stop—Paraduxx, where I again was underwhelmed, though this time we had a nice tour from the new-ish winemaker David, with his Italian background. The view and grounds are lovely, though I’m hoping the wines will improve once Dave’s influence becomes apparent.

Second stop—up a private, winding mountain road to Kuleto Estate.  We had a sit-down tasting with Kenny’s nice friend, along with a selection of cheeses and locally grown marionberries.  The Sangiovese was our favorite and what we chose to go with our lunch.  Due to our schedule, we didn’t have time to go on the tour of the amazing property.  (Pat Kuleto, the mastermind behind the construction, is also known for his restaurant creations, including Farallon, Boulevard, Martini House, and many more.)  However, we got caught up talking with Tim, Rosenblum’s former CFO who is now president of Kuleto.  He shared a really nice Cabernet with us that wasn’t on the regular tasting, while we shared a little gossip.

Our last stop was to have been Joseph Phelps, which I wasn’t too keen on visiting after my last experience.  However, we were running late (took a wrong turn) and even though we called, they treated us with disdain, as they had already stopped tasting. We gladly got back on the road, making an impromptu stop at Miner Family Vineyards, where we had quite the charming encounter.  From the Viognier to the rose’, from The Odyssey to The Oracle, and everything in between–especially the Pinot Noir–we really enjoyed the wines that Austin poured for us.  We were especially impressed at the tasting room’s diligence when it came to appropriate glassware ( I think we drank from five different styles!), as we know how much trouble it is to wash and dry on a busy day.  We were there at the end of the day, but no one rushed us in the hospitable environment. And I’d have to say, it was probably one of my best Napa experiences….

Cheers to those who were nice to us!

Image source: Farley Walker

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POSTED IN: Napa Valley, wine friends, winery visits