Why can’t real estate attorney conferences be held in locations like this?!  Our wonderful Massachusetts/Florida friends Linda Sargent and Jim Lingley sent us this post from their recent medical conference trip and side adventure into the northern California wine region……..

Photo credit: Blake Marvin Photography

Linda and I traveled to California (I had a Radiology meeting at the Half Moon Bay Ritz – where else could you possibly have a meeting) and we spent some time in wine country, aiming for small vineyards whose wine we wouldn’t be able to find locally.  So this is my contribution to the Dart wine blog:

1. Miner Family Vineyards  On the Silverado Trail in Oakville.  We brought lunch and picnicked on their terrace enjoying a very nice rosé – very light, not at all sweet and a refreshing aftertaste.  They also have a good Chardonnay and we bought some of each and will have it shipped when the weather cools.

2. Bell Vineyards   This is a very small vineyard outside of Yountville.  We didn’t actually visit them but tasted some of their wines at our Inn ( Oak Knoll Inn between Napa and Yountville – terrific, wine tastings from selected local vineyards each afternoon).  Their Cabernet Sauvignon, clone 6 excellent.

3. D R Stephens  St Helena.   Tasted at Oak Knoll.  Pricey but probably the best reds.  2007 Moose Valley and 2008 DR II were ones we tried and they were phenomenal.  Would have purchased a couple but ran out of time and buying from their vineyard required making an appointment.   They also make a Chard. which we didn’t sample.

Photo Credit: Peter Menzel

4. Quixote  Silverado Trail, Napa.  We had a tour of a very unusual (architecturally) vineyard (get on their site, quixotewinery.com).  Adjacent to one of Stags Leap vineyards from whom the owner purchased the land.  Their specialty is Petite Syrah and we liked it so much we purchased some to be shipped and hopefully share with you sometime this Fall or winter.

5. Landmark  Sonoma.  Exception to our rule of stopping only at small places but it was time for our picnic lunch and they have lovely, tranquil grounds (it was the middle of the week).  They also make a very nice rosé available only at the winery (about 300 cases/year).  No problem getting their Overlook Chardonnay back East; we did buy their Heintz Chardonnay not available outside of CA and it was superior to the Overlook.

Photo credit: Landmark Vineyards

6. Fogarty  Santa Cruz Mtns   This was only vineyard we visited south of San Francisco.  I had known of this wine partly because the owner, Dr. Fogarty was well known in the vascular surgery field although  his surgical days are long since over; he was off salmon fishing in the Rogue River, Oregon when we were there.  Not a bad life!   His small vineyards in the hills are just spectacular in a natural sort of way.  Small, with beautiful views in many directions.  And they also make some very good wine.  Known more for their reds including a very nice Syrah, they also make a good Chardonnay which we brought home with us and just sampled last night.  It traveled well.

Thank you for sharing your travel and wine notes and welcome back to the real world!  Debbe