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Napa Valley, A Premium Wine Weekend

Text and Photos by Tab Hauser

If you enjoy good wine and food in a pretty country setting than I would recommend a few days in Napa Valley. Napa Valley is an easy drive about 60 miles away from San Francisco Airport or 50 miles from Oakland City Airport. It is a valley about 25 miles long and 6 miles at its widest point. The two main roads that go the length of the valley are the more business route 29 and the more scenic Silverado Trail. These two main roads can be accessed by several roads that connect them up and down the valley. Scattered on all of these roads can be found about 400 wineries. There are a few towns with in the valley with city of Napa being the largest on the lower end having both route 29 and the Silverado Trail going into it.

Barrels Of Wine In Heitz Cellar Barrels at Silverado Aging Quietly

Our main reason to visit Napa was to take part in a distributor meeting that had nothing to do with the wine business the Sunday we were there. Being that we had to be in Napa we decided to make a relaxing weekend of it arriving Thursday late afternoon at San Francisco Airport and renting a car for the 1 ¼ hour drive to the city of Napa. With this being California where being green is so talked about we opted to rent a Toyota Camry Hybrid car from National for our drive up to and around the valley. We found the car very economical but took a little bit to get used to in driving. To start the Camry Hybrid you simply push a button not to start it, but to turn it on. When this first happened we were hesitant as to what to do at first because we are so attuned with the starting of an engine to get started. Sitting there in silence for a moment we put the car in drive and slowly pulled away with a golf cart like sound. It was only depressing the pedal a little further, did the engine turn quietly on. We were pleased with solid feel of the road and the good acceleration when we needed to nail the pedal to pass someone on the highway or get on at an entrance ramp.

With simple directions we arrived at the Hennessey House in the city of Napa. This circa 1889 Queen Anne style inn has 10 bedrooms or suites spread out in the main house or former carriage house adjacent to the main house. Trying to be the romantic for a change I reviewed the web site where each room is displayed and given a name. I had picked what I thought was the “bridal” suite with a fire place, large whirlpool hot tub and a set of robes. The suite was everything described on their web site but in my haste did not realize I was in the “bridle” suite until after my wife commented how the equestrian themed room looked rather nice. (She said I did great job on the accommodations but laughed off the mix up in names as guy thing). Aside from the Bridal verse Bridle suite name we really enjoyed the room and the Hennessey House. There owner / caretaker Lorri and her staff will do just about anything to make your stay wonderful. Our suite was attentively taken care of every day and came with a decanter of complimentary sherry always topped off each afternoon along side two delicious chocolate truffles. The inn also featured home baked cookies of other treats each afternoon with complimentary wine and cheese each evening in the main house. While all these were very nice amenities, Lorri excelled in her home cooked breakfasts and multiple baked muffins every morning. Each day she would feature a fruit with a sauce drizzled over it followed by a hot course. During our stay we had eggs Florentine with crispy bacon, pear French toast as well as a stuffed peach and cheese French toast. While personally not a big breakfast eater I found each meal not only delicious but filling making it easier on us for sampling the wines before 11AM. We were impressed with her asking about any food allergies upon check in and gave my wife her famous country potatoes with out any rosemary that she usually cooks with.

While all of the above is nice, we came to Napa for its wines. Napa is not just for people who are into fine wines. While some of the best vineyards in the world are here, Napa can also be a place for people new to the world or wine. Not only can you sample different wines to see what you like from the many the different vineyards, but you can also take some seminars on wine as well as food and wine pairing at Copia in Napa (more on that later). For those not into wine as much others, there are places to taste local olive oil, hiking trails and several places to do the spa thing.

There are two ways to see the wineries in Napa Valley. One way is to drive up the scenic Silverado Trail and back down Route 29 stopping at any of the vineyards that attract your attention with an “open sign” on the gate. The other way is to make appointments for what may be considered a VIP or wine club tasting and tour. Doing it the first way does not require a lot of planning. Some of these vineyards do tours while some just do a tasting. Of these walk-in places it should be noted that many have a reasonable tasting fee which usually can be credited to the purchase of any wine from that vineyard. The other way to see the vineyards is to make an appointment for a tour and tasting. By doing this you get to see how the wine is made as well as hear about the history of the vineyard and all that goes along with the place. These appointment tours if you are not a club member or VIP usually charge a reasonable fee. The advantage of seeing the wineries with an appointment is that you get to sample either more fines or some of better wines produced there. You also get to know the how the vineyard operates. If you join a vineyards wine club, fees are usually waived. In any event anyone joining a wine club is treated differently than people that just drive in off the road. The same goes with referral tours as the ones we took. Referral tours can be made from a wine distributor or meeting the right people at wine large events. Always call or email any winery in advance you are interested in visiting.

Being a compulsive travel planner and lover of fine wine I opted for doing tours by appointment with some of Napa’s best. A month earlier we had met some key people from Napa at the N.Y. Wine Experience in NYC. At the Wine Experience we asked for restaurant recommendations in their area as well as the possibility of seeing the vineyard. We were given business cards and told to email the dates we were looking to come visit and await confirmation. This paid off big time because we were given the VIP treatment and visited in order listed Heitz, Sterling, Silver Oak, Silverado, Rubicon Estates and Joseph Phelps vineyards.

Heitz Vineyards Crushing and Production Facilities Room Used For Aging and Parties At Heitz

Our first visit was to the Heitz Vineyards just off the Silverado Trail. Here we were taken around and told in depth about how the Heitz vineyard started as well as its history in the Valley. We also learned how the next generation is successfully making some of the best cabernet sauvignons in the valley. We walked around the production facility outdoors as well as inside where a large storage warehouse was holding the wines for proper aging in small barrels and large wooden casks. While Heitz is known for there cabernet grapes, what we did not know was that back in the 60’s one of their original wines was a dry rose. For our tour a bottle of this limited production was pulled for our tasting as well as a bottle of there crisp and fruity sauvignon blanc and premium cabernet sauvignon. Our tasting took place at what seemed like Heitz command center in an office built over the center of the aging room. During the tasting Jeanne Cabral, Director of Sales, described each wine. She told us about the grapes used, the aging and number of cases produced. During our tasting we considered ourselves lucky when we met the wine maker Joe Norman as well as Dave Heitz himself who shared a glass with us. After tasting some of their wines we decided that we need to get a case of their limited dry rose when it comes out. We also thought their sauvignon blanc had perfect fruit and acid and would be a perfect white for next summer. We can only describe Heitz’s cabernet sauvignon as amazing. We promised that if we could not get a case at home we would order one direct. One thing to note about Heitz is that they have a tasting room on Route 29 that one should not miss when in Napa if you do not make an appointment to see the vineyard. The tasting room is a quick was to decide whether you like these wines.

David Heitz With His Fine Wines Part of Heitz Vineyards Main Aging Room

From here we drove up route 29 to Sterling Vineyards. Sterling gives a different tour and tasting when compared to other vineyards. If you are not on a VIP list or a member of their club there is a $20 charge to get in. What makes this tour different is that to get to the production area and tasting room you take a cable car to the top. Taking the ride is fun and gives you a scenic view from the top over looking acres of vines and much of the valley. At the top you are greeted with a one ounce tasting of one of their white wines and are told to do a self tour. VIP guests are met personally and told to go to a special tasting room after the walking around. The self guided tour covers the different areas of manufacturing and storage which includes stainless steel and wooden barrels and casks. There are videos and display boards in different rooms explaining the different processes of production. One thing I never saw was a how small barrels are “toasted” or burned helping give wine some of the unique flavor that a particular vineyard wants. The self tour ends on a patio where another cheerful person gives a taste of their chardonnay. Here we looked out on the valley and vineyards in the warm sunshine while sipping away. From the patio we walked to the tasting room where our guest card took us to a room reserved for members or VIP’s. Regular guests go to the right and taste some of the basic wines included with the tram price. They also have the option to buy tastings into the more the more expensive wines. For a $12 tasting fee visitors can pick 4 of there better wines. VIP and club members get this waived. To maximize our experience we pooled our 4 picks each having cheerful hostess bring 8 wines to try. The hostess also insisted we try two more of her favorite wines we did not pick from the list. We purchased one of these as well as a limited reserve cabernet at a good price not found available where we live.

Sterling Vineyards Cable Car Sterling Vineyards with Greek Themed Architecture With Bells

With two wineries under our belt it was off to Calistoga just 10 minutes away for lunch. Calistoga is a town with a main street several blocks long. If one is inclined one can stroll among the many shops here. For us this trip was about tasting and acquiring wine and not window or trinket shopping. After a couple of good salads at a pizza / pasta shop in town we drove around the block to a place called the Wine Garage. This place claims to get deals from smaller vineyards in which everything available is under $25 but tastes like it is worth more. While walking around the small shop looking at labels someone came to assist us asking what we liked in a wine. After chatting with him we purchased 6 bottles each of 2 different wines. Strangely enough even though we were in the heart of Napa, he sold us one wine from Sonoma and another one from Washington State. In opening up one of the bottles we found his choices were OK for worth the money but perhaps not worth as much if you included their and boxing charge that was over $4.00 per bottle

Sterling Vineyards Aging Area View From Patio at Sterling Looking Down and South

Our next stop was the Silver Oak Vineyards tasting room in Napa. Originally we were offered a VIP tour of the Silver Oak Vineyards in Geyersville but realized that driving just over an hour from Sterling Vineyards would not work with other plans we had this day. (if we come back next year and stay in Sonoma we will definitely see them as Geyersville is closer to Sonoma than Napa is.) The Silver Oaks Vineyard in Napa is a work in progress with the entire facility under construction. The tasting room offers two of their cabernets. Here the people (and dog) could not have been any friendly. Tastes of these premium wines are $10 for the set. Keep in mind that there bottles go for $80 and $100 each so the tasting fee is reasonable. We ended our wonderful day in the valley by heading back to the Hennessey Inn for some wine and cheese (well maybe more cheese than wine this time) and a nap before dinner.

The Silverado Main Vineyards Views from Silverado Vineyards

Saturday was going to be different for us. I had only arranged tours at two places. One was at the prestigious Silverado Vineyards. The other was the corporate polished Rubicon Estates. We arrived at Silverado early and was greeted at their tasting bar by a very friendly Tom Kalbrener who insisted we have a little of there Sauvignon Blanc while we waited for Jon Emmerich the Silverado wine maker. After Jon arrived he took us on our most detailed tour of the weekend as we were not only taught how the wine was made, but actually had a chance to taste the 07 vintage sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon right out of the barrels. Here the wine maker took us around and showed us exactly why Silverado is at the top of their game. We saw the entire place which included aging rooms, kitchen where they put on dinners and lab where testing is down. After we left the aging area we went to a private room where different wine bottles were ready to taste. We liked was their viognier and their 2002 cabernet reserve so much we had them ship us half a case of each due to there reasonable shipping fee and unavailability where we live. We also enjoyed the “solo” brand but could get that locally. If you are not a club member I would recommend a stop at Silverado and pay the reasonable tasting fee or join the club when you get here.

Silverado Vineyards Aging Area Wine Maker Jon Emmerich Giving Taste of 07 Out Barrel

Tasting the Good Stuff at Silverado

The Lab at Silverado 2007's Waiting for Their Time

In Napa our goal was to see places at the top of their field. These included Silverado, Heitz, Silver Oak and Joseph Phelps that we visited the next day. The next winery visited I would is not say is in the same league but interesting to visit because of the way the mansion or estate is set up. Rubicon Estate as mentioned earlier is a bit polished and perhaps as interesting to see as it is to taste. When you arrive at the Rubicon Estate you are met with valet parking and no sooner than your car is whisked away are you greeted by a young man in a red blazer who will ask how many in your party and advise you of the $25 cost of your visit and point you down a red carpet to the front door. The fee includes 5 wines to taste as well as a tour of the inside of the large mansion and part of the aging area. Other tours are available but cost additional. (Being on a guest list or having a club membership waives the fees for people in your party) Entering the Rubicon Estate is as much of a museum as it is a winery. This place was the former estate and vineyard known as Inglenook. It was started in 1880 by Capt. Gustave Niebaum. Frances Ford Coppola bought the land in 1975 with profits from the Godfather movie (as the sign says) while searching for a “quaint” summer home in which he can make wine. It should be noted that The Inglenook name was sold many years earlier by the Niebaum family to a large corporation which has a reputation for making cheap jug wines.

Rubicon Estates Aging Area With Barrels

After signing for the 12:30 tour of the mansion we were directed to either walk around the exhibits on 2 floors or go to the bar to try the 5 different wines offered. We decided to get a sampling of wine and walk around the mansion while sipping. The main building is a museum that splits Coppola’s history with that of the original winery. We learned that over 100 years ago this place was one America’s first prestigious and internationally awarded vineyard. There is a time line on the estate with artifacts from Capt. Niebaum as well as things from Coppola’s past. Among the exhibits is a very rare car called a Tucker in which Coppola made a movie about. There is a number of devices on one side of the building called “magic lanterns” and zoetroppes. These lighting machines, some 300 years old, were the first machines to show moving images using light.

Going Into the Area At Rubicon Estates Where Wine is Stored in Barrels

To get a better understanding of the place we signed up for a tour. Tours are given by guides wearing old driving caps and sweaters. For 30 minutes we were given the history of the place and then taken to a long wine cellars holding the casks. What surprised me here was that with all the fan fare of people in matching out fits, valet parking, café, store and bar production was only 10,000 cases according to our guide. Other sources advised me that Coppola’s total out put is 50,000 cases if you include the Geyersville facility.

Three of the 13 Inn's Visited during the Napa Inn to Inn Tour

The rest of our day was a bit off the normal Napa wine circuit tour. Each year on the first Saturday of December the inns and bed and breakfast’s of the city of Napa open their doors for tours for charity. For a very reasonable fee of $45 donated to pancreatic cancer research one gets a chance to visit 13 inns. Of these, 12 of the 13 inns served wines featured by different vineyards. All the inns served food. A nice touch regarding the Inn to Inn tour were luxury vans, stretch limos and two 1936 touring vehicles provided transportation. This took the worry about drinking and driving as well as getting lost. . Many of the inns visited were majestic in their architecture and were over 100 years old. Most inns had some suites opened to show off there rooms character. Information on the Inns of Napa valley can be found at www.historicinns.com.

Napa Inn Tour: 1936 Tourist Vehicle, Music, gingerbread decorations and a outdoor gas fireplace with fountain behind

Our last day in Napa was a partial work day which meant seeing one more vineyard in the morning. After another delicious breakfast we drove up to the Joseph Phelps Vineyard for an 11AM tour. What happened here was a real treat. When we arrived we were met by Claude Leruitte, a certified sommelier and chief sommelier of this top vineyard. He took us to the back of the building where he Claude described the history and property of Joseph Phelps.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards Entrance

The View From the Back of the Joseph Phelps Winery On a Cloudy Day

From there we were taken to a small room overlooking the vineyards where several glasses were laid out. Claude told us of his background as well as some of his interesting experiences involving wine. He then proceeding with an informative exploration on wines in general and the Joseph Phelps wine in detail. This started with something he called in French a “misonbush”. This is basically taking a little wine in your mouth to simply cleanse your palate and be ready for the serious tasting and learning. Here he started by pouring 2 different wines into their proper glasses. We were taught why certain wines use certain glasses and then told the difference between an aroma and bouquet emanating from a wine. (aroma is from a new wine, while a bouquet is from an aged wine). He had us put the glasses side ways on the table with a white back ground so we can see the difference in color between a new and an aged wine. He then asked us to swirl the wine around and letting it settle for a second before being asked to identify what we smell. He then had us cover the to top of the wine glass with our hands and swirl it only to take our hands off the top quickly while our noses were on top of it so we can smell the concentrated odors. The next step was to taste the wine by putting it our mouth and holding it in place before swallowing it. This taught us about fruit and acid in the wine as well as allowed it to warm a little in our mouth. He explained how tannin was the “fuel” of the wine and keeps it going during the aging process. We learned a trick to try if one does not like wines with too much tannin. What he said was to chew a cube of heavy cheese and then try it. This would coat your mouth from any wines that one may feel is too high in tannin.

Plenty of Glasses to Go Around At Joseph Phelps In The Tasting Room

Claude also opened up a two identical varietals of wine. One bottle was from 1995 and other from 2005 to see and try the difference in them. After comparing the colors, smells and tasting the differences he had us mix both glasses just for the fun of it to see which flavors were more dominant. He also opened up an older cabernet and a young one to taste the difference. He then took a bottle of their famed Insignia and had us taste it. Then in the “lets do something completely different category” he decanted it not by pouring it slowly as he did the older cabernet, but shaking the heck out this $200 bottle into the decanter. We got to see how the effect of air on this very young and closed wine changed in just a short time. We tried their 2005 cabernet seated next to the more expensive the Insignia label and found both excellent. With no pressure to buy anything we happily walked into the reception area and purchase 6 of each of these reds at the vineyard discount. We also bought 6 bottles of their Viognier and had them placed in the trunk of our hybrid..

Looking Out for Sediment on a 12 Year Old Bottle

After all this wine we headed to a local Mexican Mercado called La Luna on the advice of the staff. Here, just across the street from BV vineyards in Rutherford we shared a very large burrito on the picnic tables before heading to our business meeting that occupied the rest of our day and night.

If you go:

A good place to start is at www.napadowntown.com or www.napavalley.com . These sights list all kinds of accommodations, things to do, shops, spas, wineries and more. We loved our stay at the Hennessey House and would recommend it. We would also consider a few of the other inns we visited on our inn tour. For those that want to stay at more traditional hotels you will find them ranging from simple “road side” types to very upscale resort and spas. Go for information on Hennessey go to www.hennesseyhouse.com or call 707-226-3774

Food:

While the Napa area has a reputation for gourmet foods with prices to match, one can find a meal here in any price range.

Copia Center, Napa

We had dinner at Julia’s Kitchen named for Julia Childs. We found the food very good but were disappointed in the wine by the glass. We ordered 2 different 2004 Cabernet’s. The sommelier at Julia’s we feel could have done a better job than pick two wines so “chewy” we did not finish them. A two course dinner with 2 glasses of wine was $120.

Information can be found at www.copia.org .

Bouchon, Yontville This French Bistro is 10 minutes up the road on Route 29 from Napa. Here the food and service were very good but did not care to be shoehorned in between other tables of two so tightly. The only minor disappointment on what we ordered was the chocolate mouse. The price on a 2 course meal with a shared desert and half a liter of wine was $125. I would not go here on a Friday or Saturday night at peak times.

Trancas Steakhouse, Napa

Trancas is just a little bit off the tourist map. Here we met business friends who enjoyed there juicy steaks and prime rib. We also had a chance to mix it up with the locals doing karaoke that night. Service was here was friendly. It seems this is the place to go where everyone seems to know each other. Dinner for 2 with a couple of draught beers was $90

Food and Wine Experience

Copia, The American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts is a place to learn about more or less what the name of the place is. It is the only place I think in the world where you buy pre-paid credit type cards to insert into machines that let you sample different wines.

You can also take seminars on wine and food and wine pairings. There are edible gardens, art exhibited, movies on Friday as well as complimentary tastings daily. Go to www.copia.org for complete information on this Napa institution.

Copia's Wine Dispensing Machines and Operating Instructions (we could have used this in college cafeteria)

General Information:

When you get to Napa pick up one of the glossy tourist magazines. We found these helpful with basic maps of the entire area. They also had listings of places to eat as well as all the wineries in the area. In these magazines you may also find coupons good for two for one or a complimentary tasting at the advertised vineyard if you doing the drive and go tour rather than make appointments or club visits.

For additional questions contact tabh@hascorelays.com .

Bonus Pictures From Napa Valley

Julie's Kitchen at Copia's with Sear Striped Bass and Clams

Pate : First Course at Bouchon's

Barrels Lined Up In Napa Valley

The Tucker, A Rare Car

Wine In Napa Waiting For Its Time

One Inn Had Rooms With Pull Down Screens For Movies Truffles and Sherry Each Night