We headed to Napa’s Howell Mountain AVA which produces some of the very best grapes for Cabernet Sauvignon. Our appointment was at Neal Family Vineyards, high on the mountain in Angwin and a bit tricky to find. Alex Kefalos met us with glasses of the 2021 Rutherford Dust Vermentino (which we found to be excellent and a varietal you don’t often see in Napa Valley) … Continue reading Back on Howell Mountain
Sometimes you simply get blown away by the lengths to which people who love farming and grapes will go to build a winery and its surrounds. A perfect example is Hudson Ranch and Vineyard. They call it an Agrarian dream and yes, it is that and so much more. The ranch is 2000 acres in Napa Valley’s Carneros District. It’s a working ranch with 200 … Continue reading Hudson Ranch and Vineyards
Napa has a handful of wineries that are as old as the hills. Larkmead is one of those wineries. Its history is as remarkable as its wines. Larkmead is located on the valley floor just south of Calistoga. 110 acres of planted vineyards are on the property as well as facilities for making the wine, storage and wine tasting. It’s a gorgeous property. After a … Continue reading An Institution
When you truly enjoy wine and visit the wine country for decades it is hard to resist the desire to make it home. We did and we love it. However, some who move here plunge in a bit deeper and take on the challenge of wine making. Laurie & Dean Gray along with partner Steve Nordhoff did just that and started Riverain Vineyards in Rutherford, … Continue reading Riverain
We were on a mission to try Mending Wall’s Petite Sirah. It was our only appointment of the day while we were doing some trip planning in Napa. Our host was Amy and we will forever remember her for one of, and I truly mean this, best tastings we have ever experienced. Mending Wall wines are one of Thomas Rivers Brown’s many accomplishments. He makes … Continue reading “a winery built around the spirit of wine itself”*
It’s difficult not to be moved by the view when you drive to Howell Mountain. We’ve driven there twice since the 2020 fires and both times I was struck with a feeling of despair seeing the devastation of homes, wineries, and charred hills. Thankfully It’s all coming back. Sonoma and Napa residents, and winery owners in particular, are nothing if not resilient. For Jon and … Continue reading Paravel Pick Up
August 2020 – A Paravel UPDATE – We had the pleasure of having Jon Jones join us for a birthday dinner celebration in Santa Rosa. Jon brought his wines to pair and share making the dinner and the evening one exceptional event. Jon poured his 2019 Mendocino Poor Ranch VYD Old Vine Zinfandel Rosé while he told us the fantastic story of how he discovered … Continue reading “Music to your Mouth”
We took a little trip over to Napa for a first time visit to Anderson Conn Valley Vineyards. Our visit was during a region wide power shutoff so our tasting was held on their lawn rather than in their very dark wine cave. Harvest was well underway and we were the only visitors early that day. Our host, Tom started us off with Rosé and … Continue reading Anderson Conn Valley
Photo credit -SFGATE The residents of Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino Counties want you to know they are open for business. The fires were devastating. The lives of 42, over 6,000 homes and nearly 50 commercial buildings were lost. All businesses have taken a huge financial hit. So, how can you help?………Their message for you is simple. “Come,” … “Sonoma needs you.” says winemaker Sara … Continue reading A Time to Help………..
Nothing like starting your morning off with a 10 am tasting. We drove up Spring Mountain and began our day in Napa at Keenan Winery. Keenan farms sustainably and in 2007 switched to 100% solar power for its facilities and homes on the property. The day we were there the winery was busy bottling using a mobile bottling contractor. We were met by Amy, an engaging associate who … Continue reading A Day in Napa……………
John's Wine Cellar 