Napa for Beginners

If you’re reading this, you already love wine. And if you’ve dreamed of touring Napa Valley, I’ve planned a fantastic day-tour of Napa’s top wineries for you. So read on.

Need some basics before you start? Napa and Sonoma Valley are located north of San Francisco and are home to perhaps the most fertile wine-growing soil in North America. The county of Napa includes the towns of (going north to south) St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, and Los Carneros.

Here’s what it looks like:

Source: http://www.corleyfamilynapavalley.com

Napa Valley has everything from old, historic, top shelf vineyards to small, newer ‘boutique’ wineries. And in addition to wine, Napa’s become a veritable Mecca for fine French cuisine. Angele, Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon, French Laundry, and La Toque are just a few of the favored spots, but wait till you see where we’re going for lunch. Read on (no peeking!).

Today’s tour will focus on Napa’s finest and oldest wineries, starting at the top and going south. We’ll begin with a jammin’ little breakfast joint, hit Napa’s three most prestigious wineries, then lunch at a truly legendary 5-star French restaurant followed by one more winery on your way out of town. Ready to rock n’ roll?

1. Model Bakery in St. Helena

First stop, breakfast. With an 80 year history, The Model Bakery is an excellent place to excite your palate and fill your belly before your wine tour begins. They specialize in cakes, cookies, breads, lunch, and pastries (fabulous lattes!). Open Tuesday – Sunday (check website for daily hours).

2. Beringer, St. Helena

Our second stop is at the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley. Young German visionary, Jacob Beringer, arrived in Napa in 1869 and, six years later, opened Beringer Vineyards with his brother. Having worked in wine cellars in Germany, Beringer chose the Napa region for rocky, well-drained soils that were similar to his native Rhine Valley. Beringer Vineyards has been producing legendary red, white, and blush wines for over 130 years and in 2001 was placed on the National Register for Historic Places as a Historic District. Viticulturist, Angel Aguirre-Benites poured a sampling of reds during my tasting event, and followed it up with a tour of their historic oak barrels and wine caves.

Like most of the larger wineries, the tasting menu consists of “standards” and “reserves”. By far, the most luscious wines on the menu were two Merlots, both of which were tantalizing blends of several wines. The ’05 Alluvium Merlot is a rich, well-rounded zinger with equal parts flavor and finesse. Combined with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, this Merlot is more of a Bordeaux style red, but with a more balanced sugar/alcohol composition and hints of vanilla and cocoa.

The ’04 Bancroft Ranch Merlot, this time combined with Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon, is another winner. The Bancroft Ranch vineyard, at an 1800 foot elevation, produces clusters with small berries. This means high skin-to-fruit ratio, and that means flavor! Their flavors are further enhanced by their location above the fog belt. Tip: Our host, Angel, said not to age Merlots or Pinot Noirs more than five years.

3. Rutherford Hill, Rutherford

I went to Rutherford Hill Winery thinking how Beringer would be a tough act to follow. Built in 1972, the Terlato family chose this particular location because of its resemblance to Pomerol, a merlot-growing region of Bordeaux, France. Merlots are their specialty, and you’ll get to try several excellent specimens on their tasting menu. The subtle and velvety ’03 Merlot won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco Wine Expo. Most noteworthy, though, is the Episode ‘04 cabernet, created from the vineyard’s top 10% of fruit. Our wine tasting host, Jack Wells, explained that 2004 was a magical year for the vineyard. As the creation of Episode is slow and painstaking, the vineyard only produces 500 cases per year. The real magic of this wine is the sneaky blend of 70% Cab, 20% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. At $150/bottle, it’s a rare gem. Tip: the thicker the tannins, the longer a wine can age. Be sure to catch a tour of the wine caves before moving onto the next winery. Rutherford Hill’s founders endowed their caves with an innovative pallet-stacking system, providing a perfect climate of 59º/90% humidity to their 8000 wine-filled oak barrels.

4. Robert Mondavi, Oakville

If there’s one singular name associated with Napa Valley, it’s Mondavi. In 1966, visionary Robert Mondavi opened the first major winery in the Napa region since prohibition. Aside from his winemaking innovations, Mondavi’s legacy included globe trotting to educate the world on the role of wine in the evolution of culture and civilization. Though the winery produces a variety of reds and whites, they’re undoubtedly most known for their beefy Cabs. Their tasting room features a beauty – the ’05 Oakville Cabernet - rich and buttery with a peppery finish. At age 94, Robert Mondavi died this May, leaving a legacy of some of the most prestigious, drinkable, and widely distributed wines available today.

5. Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon, Yountville

As the only upscale dining venue within a winery in Napa, Etoile at Domain Chandon is an event in and of itself. Everything on the menu is paired with award-winning wines, and the ambiance and surroundings make for a wonderful stop midway through your Napa tour. I recommend the Seared Blue Fin Tuna from the lunch menu. Indulge!

6. Artesa Vineyards and Winery, Los Carneros

Are you full from lunch? Well red wine is a fantastic digestive aid, so how about one more tasting before heading home? It’s even on the way out of town. Artesa (pronounced Ar-TESS-uh) Vineyards is Napa’s newest winery, but shares an exciting lineage of a 16th century wine-making legacy from Barcelona – the Codorniu family. Though they specialize in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Artesa’s major varietals also include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Be sure to try the ’04 Cabernet (classic tier) and the ’05 Pinot Noir (reserve).

Suggestions:

• Check to see if your Napa visit coincides with one of Napa’s many cultural events. If so, make reservations early, as lodging will get booked up.
• Go on a weekday. Weekend traffic in Napa can be a nightmare, unless you start early.
• Start your litany of wine tastings on a full stomach. Don’t wait till you’re halfway through your tour to stop and eat.
• Drink lots of water! Space your alcohol consumption with water throughout the day.

Although the Napa region now produces a wide array of exceptional and award-worthy wines, they’re still mostly known for consistently excellent Cabs and Merlots. All in all, I’ve never met a Napa Cab I didn’t like.

Stay tuned to www.vinecandy.com for my upcoming articles on Napa’s Best Kept Secrets and Featured Wine of the Month: Barolo. In the meantime, explore your passion for wine, and drink safely.

Cheers!

Grape Girl

Photography by Lee Towles
Lisa Polisar a/k/a "Grape Girl" is a journalist and a mystery novelist. Check out her writing at www.lisapolisar.com or http://wordpress.relativitygirl.com.