Sadly, our wine collection at home has been rather neglected as of late – between traveling the past few months and moving into a new place, we calculated that we’ve eaten more meals at various airports than our own home so far this year!  Last night was an unusually cold and windy night in Taipei so we opted to skip going out and finally enjoy a nice romantic meal in our new apartment, which provided the perfect excuse to open one of our good Napa Cabs.  Our pick – the 2004 Reserve from Waterstone.

Any good Cab deserves a nicely paired meal to bring out the complex array of aromas and flavors found in this hearty varietal.  My pick for this wine was a juicy, thick grilled steak.  Marinated with a dry rub, much like Emeril’s Essence, I was very curious to see how the Cab would stand up against the strong black pepper flavor often best reserved for a varietal like Zinfandel.

To my pleasant surprise, the Waterstone Cabnernet stood up perfectly against the peppery dry rub, maintaining its fruit forwardness and a nice finish.  The 2004 Reserve Cab is 9% Cabernet Franc, perhaps providing that tobacco touch that married so well with the black pepper in the spice rub.

In general, I’ve found 2004 to be a fantastic year for Cabs in the Napa Valley.  Almost every 2004 Cab I’ve tried from Napa Valley has easily beaten out other year vintages, hands down.  After what turned out to be an early harvest season due to early bud break followed by a hot summer,  many vineyards were faced with a decrease in fruit production; however, they ended up with grapes that had much more concentrated flavors.  This certainly worked in Waterstone’s favor as this wine was recognized by Wine Enthusiast and awarded 91 points in the November 2008 Buyer’s Guide.

Tasting Notes and Wine Data

• Tasting Notes: Aromas of cedar oak, currant, black cherry and ripe plum.  Flavors of cherries, plums, chocolate and tobacco marry with the subtle oak nuances. Firm tannins provide a balance, leading to a long, lingering finish.
• Composition: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 4% Petite Verdot
• Oak Aging: 21 months in brand new small French Oak barrels
• Production: 664 cases
• Bottling Date: January 15, 2007
• Suggested retail: $75
• Cellar Potential:  Wine Enthusiast suggests cellaring until 2012, or drink now after decanting for a few hours
• Website:  www.waterstonewines.com

Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery is a local winery serving 100% estate grown wines since 1977. They primarily focus on sweeter whites which is in part due to the climate in the Puget Sound region.

Their wines were pretty good, even though I am not a huge fan of white wines in general (did try their drier ones which were nice). They have one dry red – a Pinot Noir which was not bad either.

What they did have was raspberry wine, which was rather tasty. The wine has no grape juice or water added and it truly tastes just like fresh raspberries. In 2008, only 131 cases were produced and they had a strawberry one being released later last year that I would be interested in trying as well.  

I had the opportunity to talk with Gerard Bentryn, the owner of the winery, who was very pleasant and a wealth of knowledge.  I really enjoyed meeting him and the warm family feel you get while you are in the tasting room. 

Their wines are available in some local shops and restaurants and they are willing to ship – but do not take credit cards for shipped orders. You must send a check or money order.

Note: their tasting room is only open on the weekends (Fri – Sun 11am to 5pm) and they do have a tour on Sundays at 2pm! Tasting is $3 for 4 tastes.

Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery
8989 Day Road East
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 842-9463
http://www.bainbridgevineyards.com/index.htm

Andretti winery is definitely a fun vineyard to check out on your Napa wine travels. It is owned by racing legend, Mario Andretti, and longtime friend, Joe Antonini (former CEO of Kmart). Many people are not aware that wine was Andretti’s second passion and he finally saw that come to life in 1996 when they founded the vineyard. Their consulting winemaker is Bobi Pepi – of the Robert Pepi Winery in Oakville.

As with most Napa wineries, there is a charge to wine taste unless you join their wine club which is not a bad deal. I was a member of the winery for a few years now and was never disappointed with any selections. This is the only way to get invitations to the winery events, most specifically the annual dinner with Mario Andretti himself.  Many years ago, my father, who was in the custom painting business for a bit, painted one of Andretti’s first helmets.  He left the industry many, many years ago but I grew up hearing some amazing stories of great racers, and Andretti was obviously one of them.  I had wanted to join the wine club in hopes of bringing my Dad to one of the events where Mario was attending.  Ironically, I was never available when the event would come up!  I would probably still be a member of their wine club, but gave most of them up when I moved abroad several months ago. 

The winery grounds are beautiful and very Tuscan themed.  Tucked away off Hwy 29 on Big Ranch Road, don’t blink or you might miss the entrance sign!  The beautiful grounds are not immediately visible from the road which just adds to the feeling of being in Italy.  Wander around behind the tasting room a bit and take in the beautiful scenery on your visit.   

Andretti offers three collections of wine – their Montona Reserve Series, the Napa Valley Series, and the California Selections Series. While all are quality wines, I would recommend paying the extra to try the reserve wines. The Montona series is named after Mario’s childhood home and are very limited quantity wines, offered first to wine club members. The port is one of my favorites!!

They do offer private wine and dinner tours and other private wine pairing classes but you must call ahead for reservations and availability. Individual tastings run about $10 pp.

Andretti Winery
4162 Big Ranch Road
Napa, CA 94558

Open Daily: 10am – 5pm
888-460-8463
707.261.1717
Fax: 707-259-6776
www.andrettiwinery.com

I stumbled upon Arroyo winery many years ago after an article appeared in Southwest magazine on the top 5 lesser known vineyards to hit in the Napa region. Although the magazine article brought a lot headache due to a huge increase in visitors for a short while, some loyal wine lovers were created as well.

Vincent Arroyo is a very small production winery with an annual case production of about 8,000 of seven different varietals. He pretty much was a one man show for awhile and when you’d visit the tasting room (which was right across from his house), you’d meet him. The last time I was there for an event, he obviously had quite a bit of help and the place was packed – they were offering golf cart shuttle from the street back to the barrel areas!

His signature wine is the Petite Syrah which almost always sells out prior to even bottling. You need to get on a waiting list for it but trust me, it’s worth it! In addition, he produces a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and several red blends. Their signature Petite Syrah is developed into several different bottlings: Napa Valley Petite Syrah (blend of their many vineyards), 2 vineyard designated ones – Greenwood Ranch & Rattlesnake Acres, Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Syrah (barrel aged for 34 months) and a Petite Syrah Port.

One fun element to Vince’s take on winemaking is his dogs get in on the action! Each year, he features a special wine named after one of the dogs. The first year I met Vincent, he was working on J.J.’s blend! JJ runs around the vineyard and loves to run and jump on the barrels, especially to retrieve his tennis ball! Both JJ and Bodega were featured on the Napa Dogs winery calendar in 2007!

Vincent Arroyo hosts several events each year that are worthwhile to check out (if you can get in!!)

– Barrel Sampling Event – Last Saturday of February each year (free). Opportunity to taste all the wines still in the barrel and sample delicious food!

– Open House – First Saturday of May each year (free). They bring out the previously released library wines which have been sold out for people to try! This is an opportunity for people to see how their wines are aging.

– Winemaker Dinner – First weekend in May (reservation only, $$)

– Arroyo Open – August (fee -$$). The winery holds the Arroyo Open in St. Helena every year. Unique challenges at various holes, and a catered buffet dinner paired with wine.

-Amigos De Arroyo (unk). This is “THE” event if you can get in. Every October they get a group together to harvest and hand pick grapes, transport them back to the winery for stomping. Once all the work is dine, feast on paeall prepared over an open fire and drink some of his best wines. Each member of the group will eventually receive 2 bottles of wine they helped make once it has been bottled AND they are all listed on the label as winemakers! This is obviously a very popular event and you must be entered into a lottery to even have a chance at participating!

NOTE TO VISITORS WANTING TO TASTE: You MUST call ahead for an appointment now! For groups of 6 or less, the tastings are still complementary as far as I know. For groups of 7 or more, the fee is $5 per person. Please be respectful and make reservations ahead of time versus showing up direct at the winery.

Lava Cap produced only 9 barrels of this wine and it’s probably one of my favorite wines from them.  For those who are not familiar with the vineyard, it’s a small, boutique type winery, located in the foothills near Sacramento.

For pairing Mourvedre, it is best with roasts, stews, and more hearty dishes.  We paired it with a roast pork in red wine (used the Mourvedre) sauce with a potato stew.

The first time I had a wine from Franciscan was actually a few years ago while living in Las Vegas!  While enjoying a wine pairing dinner at the Stratosphere’s Top of the World Restaurant, one of the courses was paired with the Franciscan Chardonnay.  Normally, not a huge fan of white wines in general, I instantly fell in love with it’s unique flavor.  It had the buttery flavor of a Chardonnay but it was very fruit forward.  The memory of that wine stayed with me and I made sure to visit Franciscan on my next trip to Napa.

Franciscan is located in Oakville, right on Highway 29.   Founded over 30 years ago, Raymond Duncan and Justin Meyer were there for the beginning of this Napa stronghold, with the 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Agustin Huneeus became involved in 1985, concentrating on a commitment to small lot wine making and introducing their Bordeaux style blend, the Magnifcant.  Another two years later Franciscan made more headlines by producing the Cuve Sauvage, the first Napa Chardonnay produced fermented with wild yeast. Today, Janet Myers is Franciscan’s winemaker and has excelled in staying true to their signature: bold wines with rare combination of rich, vibrant flavors yet fine, supple texture.  Working with Mondavi and other leading vintners around the world, she has brought that knowledge to Franciscan, creating some incredible wines.       Some of my favorites: 2006 NAPA VALLEY CHARDONNAY (Rated 89 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine)

• Appearance:  Pale lemon yellow
• Aroma:  Pretty stone fruit and ripe pear, with lemon peel notes.  Layered aromas with enticing minerality, hints of cream and vanilla, and crisp apple undertones.

  

• Flavor:   Fresh and lively, yet good richness and body.  Layered flavors of lemon and golden delicious apple, pineapple, and toasted oak.  The round mid-palate extends to a lingering crisp finish and bright citrus flavors, minerals and sweet oak.
• Composition: 100% Chardonnay
• Appellation:   Napa Valley
• Oak Aging:   8 months sur lee, French and American Oak
• Alcohol:  13.5%
• Release Date:   December 1, 2007
• Retail:  $18.00 USD

2007 SAUVIGNON BLANC (Rated 83 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine)

• Appearance: Pale Yellow
• Aroma:    Citrus, melon, and fig
• Flavor:    Fresh and lively.  Vibrant, layered flavors of lime, lemongrass and melon with hints of minerality on a crisp, elegant finish.
• Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
• Appellation:   Napa Valley
• Alcohol:   13.5%
• Release Date:  March 1, 2008
• Retail: $17 USD

Franciscan Winery 1178 Galleron Lane, St. Helena, CA (707)967-3830  10am-5pm Different tasting flights available, but plan for at least $15.  There are discount coupons online and at Franciscan’s website.