2010 Wine Country Scavenger Hunt

For our 2009 Napa trip, we had a 'theme', a first for us for any trip. All the wineries we selected to visit were part of the Judgement in Paris...for our movie friends, it's what Bottle Shock was 'loosely' based on. We enjoyed having a 'theme' so much, we decided to do it again for our 2010 trip and created a "Wine Country Scavenger Hunt". A few friends have asked us what was on our list, and how we fulfilled it. So... here it is!

1. Visit a winery of a favorite tasted at a wine bar ~ Robert Biale "Black Chicken" Zin - tasted at Silo's, thanks Keith!
2. Recommendation from a local establishment (in Del Cerro) ~ Gloria Ferrer - K&B Wine Bar
3. Recommendation from a family member ~ Plumpjack & Brix - Greg & Jennifer Coleman
4. Recommendation from a friend ~ Redd - Brian Mayer (yummy pick!); Benzinger - Lenore
5. A "Delux" experience ~ Jarvis winery tour; Cade tasting
6. Previous visit favorite ~ Mustard's Grill, Sweetie Pies, Restaurante Allegria, Cuvaison
7. Purchase only visit ~ Plumpjack
8. A traditional stop (winery or non-winery) ~ In N Out; Oakville Grocery
9. Taste a cab franc or petite verdot ~Petite Verdot - Jarvis; Cab Franc - Artesa
10. Experience a unique tour ~ Jarvis
11. Enjoy a free tasting ~ had more than we expected here: Cosentino, Jessup, Folie A Deux, Cuvaison, Artesa, Valley of the Moon, Benzinger, Robert Biale
12. Experience a tasting other than wine ~ Variety of vinagers and mustards - Folie A Deux; Cheese tastings - Sonoma Cheese Factory
13. Capture photo for kitchen ~ Purchased Sweetie Pies print at Napa General Store
14. Find a cool new lunch spot ~ Sage in Sonoma - so delicious!
15. Experience a fun evening activity, other than dining ~ Silo's Jazz Bar

For details on all of our 'findings' check out Jeff's previous blogs for all three days in Napa.

Cosentino Sangiovese

A few years ago in Napa, while sitting at the bar in Silo's we were introduced to Cosentino Zin. We really enjoyed the wine, and made note to add it as a winery stop on a future trip. We made that stop this past January, and found some affordable, tasty wines...one of which is their 2006 Sangiovese.

This Sangiovese is a Tuscan style red blend made from three key vineyards in California. The blend is 80% Sangiovese, 20% Bordeaux varietals. The wine is made with punch cap fermentation in open tanks, followed by 20 months of oak aging. It has a balanced taste, not too spicy, not too sweet.

We actually savored this wine over two nights. The first night we enjoyed with a simple meal of spaghetti and meatballs. And the next night, pizza! This is a fantastic pizza wine. I highly recommend it with a big slice with pepperoni and black olives!

Smiling with a sip of Simi

Yum. This is typically the first word that rolls off my tongue after a sip of any Simi wine. For the 2006 Simi Alexander Valley Chardonnay, it was wow!

I like my Chardonnay balanced with a soft, buttery taste and little splash of fruit - not citrus tasting. This wine totally delivered. It was light and refreshing, very drinkable ~ I am sure we had a meal with this bottle, and I cooked it, but couldn't tell you what it was!

We picked up this bottle (as well as many others) while visiting the winery in 2009. This Chardonnay was among our favorites we tasted that day, as noted by the very large smiley face written on my tasting notes. It is 100% Chardonnay& barrel fermented. At first pour, we knew this wine was going to be different from most chardonnay's. It is very light in color, almost clear. The nose had a light smokey oak, but yet a hint of sweet... we knew we were in for a treat.

The only downside to this wine ~ they made a very limited production, and it was only sold at the winery. If you are lucky to get your hands on one, snag it and enjoy!

Day 3: Three perfect days in Napa and Sonoma Valley

This is Day 3 of our recent wine tour to the Napa and Sonoma wine regions. Napa Valley can get a little crowded on the weekends, so we like to head over to nearby Sonoma Valley which features a lot of great wineries, more reasonable prices, and fewer people. Gotta love that combination!

Wine

Valley of the Moon. Our first stop of the day was terrific. Their tasting room is a two-fer: you can taste Valley of the Moon wines and Lake Sonoma Winery wines. It's interesting to compare and contrast the two styles. Linda, our host, played along and poured several of the varietals side-by-side, so we could blind taste them and try to guess which was which based on the descriptions. Lots of fun! The stand-outs for us were the super refreshing 2008 'So Co' Pinot Blanc that was very crisp and would go well with lighter foods. We also enjoyed their 2007 'So Co' Sangiovese. Sangiovese is a very versatile red wine, and this one had a nice oaky finish that will allow it to go well with pasta. Finally, we really enjoyed the Lake Sonoma Winery 2007 Dry Creek Zinfandel which has 94% Zinfandel and 6% Petite Syrah to give it some bigger tannins and a little complexity.

Benziger. Plan a trip here if words like "organic" and "biodynamic" ring your bell. You may also want to try Benziger if words like "really good Pinot Noir" and "big, big Cab" resonate with you. Either way, they make good wine. Our favorites were their 2007 Giusti Vineyard Pinot Noir which had deep fruit and a very Pinot earthy finish. Their 2006 Gordenker Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was a BIG cab that hits you with lots of fruit (without being too jammy or showing too much alcohol) and smooths out on the finish. Their 2006 Port was made from late harvest Syrah and Petite Syrah and has a nice balance: not too sweet and not too tawny (think caramel).

Artesa. There's a lot to love about Artesa, from their sweeping vistas, to their beautiful tasting room, to their outstanding wine. Even with a large Saturday afternoon crowd, our wine host, Marie, was very attentive and informative. We particularly enjoyed their 2005 Tempranillo and their 2005 Cabernet Franc. Tempranillo tastes like a Spanish cousin to Sangiovese, though a bit bolder. It is a well-balanced red without too much fruit or too much tannin, and would go well with a variety of richer foods. The Cabernet Franc has a lot of deep fruit on the mouth and finishes softly (for a Cab Franc). Yum.

Food

We found an awesome place for lunch called Sage Fine Food and Provisions. This is really just a fancy deli that has tasty sandwiches made with fresh ingredients and a variety of salads. It's directly across the street from Gloria Ferrer (which we did not enjoy - it's really a wine bar rather than a tasting room). Dinner was at Brix in Napa. The ideal time to go to Brix is in the Spring or Summer, when you can stroll through their vegetable garden while you wait for your meal to be served. It's a different experience in the winter, but the food is outstanding California Bistro fare and the service is always very professional and attentive.

Day 2: Three Perfect Days in Napa and Sonoma Valley

This is Day 2 of our recent wine tour to the Napa and Sonoma wine regions.

Wine

One our second day of tasting we made our way a bit North towards St. Helena and Calistoga before heading back into Napa. Here are the highlights.

Cade. This is a sister winery to Plumpjack and they also make very good Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting is $10 per person, which was a steal considering the exceptionally good wine, the scenic view from the hills above Napa Valley, and the beautiful, modern tasting room. We both enjoy softer, drier Sauvignon Blancs rather than the acidic, citrusy style, and their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc was right on the mark for us. Their 2006 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was a classic Cab with dense, complex fruit on the mouth and wonderful soft tannins that will go nicely with food.

Cuvaison. We had to visit Cuvaison because they consistently make some of our favorite wines, their Pinot Noir was the winner of our recent 'Pinot-palooza' challenge, and they have a new tasting room in Calistoga to boot. Let's just say we started the day as members of only one wine club (Wattle Creek) and are now members of two. Here are our highlights from Cuvaison:

• 2008 S Block Chardonnay. We recently drank the 2006 version and 2008 really holds up with a nice balance of buttery oak and light acidity.
• 2007 Diablo Syrah. This is a very balanced Syrah that has a rather earthy taste throughout.
• 2007 Block F5 Pinot Noir. This may just be the Pinot to take the next Pinot-palooza title. Nice, delicate fruit and an earthy finish that works before, during, and after food.
• 2006 Brandlin Vineyard Zinfandel. Strong fruit upfront (and butterscotch?!) with a subtle pepper finish. This will be versatile with a lot of food -- a great pick to bring to a restaurant.
• 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. Big fruit, big tannins, sticks to your teeth without blasting you with alcohol. Yum.

Foile a Deux. Their wine is all very drinkable, and their 'Menage a Trois' table wines are an outstanding buy. Their Menage a Trois red lists for $12, but we've seen it for as low as $6.99 a bottle. It makes for a great mid-week wine to go with all sorts of dinner.

Robert Biale Vineyards. The previous night we hung out in Silos Jazz Club for some wine and jazz. Keith, the manager, has a good eye for local wine and he introduced us to Robert Biale's "Black Chicken" Zinfandel. As the story goes, "Black Chicken" was code for Zinfandel during Prohibition when Aldo Biale took orders over their party line and didn't want the neighbors to know he was selling alcohol. It's a fun story and a fun wine. (Be sure to make an appointment if you visit.) They also feature other great Zins and a few other varietals.

Dinner
Barbeque and wine go together like peas in a pod, and the Bounty Hunter in downtown Napa does it right. It's a bit funky - their small room is part restaurant, part wine bar, and part wine shop all in one space, but it works. Come prepared to make some new friends, taste some wine, and have some awesome BBQ. (Their beer can chicken is quite the sight to see -- the whole bird comes out sitting on a beer can.)