My Canada - US Travels
BC - Winnipeg
Winnipeg - Quebec
Quebec - Winnipeg
Winnipeg - BC
Epilogue
North West Drive
Washington
Oregon
California
Nevada
Utah
Colorado
Utah again
Idaho & Montana
Alberta
BC
Epilogue
BC Interior
Langley Detour
Okanagan
Cariboo
Prince George to Prince Rupert
Return to Vancouver
Epilogue
California
Monday 23rd
First day in Sonoma, we drive to Napa. It's a 45
minute scenic drive. You cannot miss the wineries; they are on top
of one another down the main roads of Napa. Even though it's the end
of October and midweek, midday there are lots of cars on the roads
and in the car parks of the wine tasting rooms.Generally the larger and more "commercial" the winery, the more we like to avoid them. They leave an almost conveyor like feeling to the wine tasting process. I came here to relax, taste and learn, not Pay and get plastered.
The ones we go to:
Peju, several years earlier it had been a small unique winery with great wines. The wine is still great, but the tasting room is of the conveyor belt ilk (admittedly in a beautiful room).
Grgich, the best experience. The wine is great, the atmosphere is great (Mr Grgich himself is being interviewed behind us), and not least the gentleman pouring. The more interest we show, the more wines that appear. By the end we've done a nice vertical tasting of Cabs and Chards. I think if we were busy drinking, rather than taste and spit, he would not have felt so inclined to pour 12 wines. It is after all still morning. Our host tells us of summer evenings where people would arrive at the tasting rooms plastered, consume more, and then drive home . . .
Revanna, a very young winery, with vines only 5 yrs old, so just starting to produce grapes. The wines, at least to my novice palate, are definitely not ready for drinking, closed, acidic, tannic and unbalanced.
However their winemaker is "Ex Screaming Eagle", hence the first vintage bottles are $150. For those Philistines such as me before today, Screaming Eagle is the most prestigious wine in Napa, at least for the time being. This winemaker is also the only person to have ever got 5 perfect 100s from the God of the american wine industry - Robert Parker. So at a guess, those wines will probably taste a little better in a few years. Having said that, wine prices here in large part appear to be driven by Parker's rating, and not by market demand. It is assumed the ranking will create the demand, which will then justify the price - a little 'cart before the horse' for me. We certainly see the machinations explored in the wine documentary “MetroVino”, in its full glory here.
Phelps, Good wine but for the price, I'd go back to Grgich. Insignia, for me is definitely overpriced commercial 'ready for consumption' juice.
Cliff Lede, we just have the Sauvignon Blanc, beautiful and crisp. This is before I can be accused of being partisan, and find out Lede is the founder of Calgary construction giant, Ledcor.
We go to see a friend, CP who runs the
Poetry Inn in Napa,
built on the side of the hill overlooking the Stags Leap region,
amazing suites and service (Chateau Latour and personalized
stationary in your suite), but at $600 - 1,200 a night you get what
you pay for. It's incredibly busy.Our friend recommends a spot for lunch in St Helena, it's a takeout, called Taylor’s Refreshers, where they make an incredible tuna sandwich, first time we've paid $30 plus for 'fast food' at a picnic table, but definitely worth it. We go into a wine store there, not surprisingly an amazing collection of californian wines. I'm looking at all these wines, several of which we've tasted and thinking "that's a little expensive", or "that one's good value", then I kick myself and realise that I'm not in the real world, none of them are under $100, when did I last spend even 1/2 that on a bottle???
We would like to see more, naturally, but 4 wineries in a day is considered good going. In general the whites are no longer going through malolactic fermentation, which used to give californian chardonnays the reputation for having a very oaky characteristic. This means the fruit of the wine can now be the star. The reds are still big and in your face, lots of fruit and flavour, not so strong on the finesse - maybe that's what Mr. Parker prefers.
We drive back thru Napa and walk around. Bad decision, it's dead (and it's early dinner time!). No, we don't eat at the French Laundry, I wish.
Tuesday 24th
We grab breakfast in Sonoma square at a bakery and then set off on
"Tasting Sonoma":Schug, just south of the town of Sonoma, produces light wines for easy drinking, but with lots of style. Being near the Carneros region they are not surprisingly known for their Pinot Noirs. They actually only own 30% of the grapes, the rest are purchased.
Iron Horse, out west, (bordering the Coastal wine region) makes great dry wines with lots of character, their bubbly is particularly great.
Arrowood, north of Sonoma, they own just 10% of the grapes they use, the wines are very classic in a european style (something that was missing in Napa), but unfortunately lack depth.
So Sonoma - everything is much further apart, the types of wines are much more varied, but usually lighter in style, not nearly as expensive and not nearly as busy or commercial.
We spend dinner with CP at 'The Girl and Fig' in the old Sonoma Square.