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How to Spend 48 Perfect Hours in Calistoga
How to Spend 48 Perfect Hours in Calistoga
“Every savvy San Franciscan knows that the city is not the warmest place in the bay. While we do enjoy the occasional glorious 70-degree day, the majority of time the weather is chilly, windy, and cold. If the thought of fog has you contemplating a move to sunnier climates, hold up. From vineyard resorts to seaside retreats, SF is within a close proximity to all sorts of haute places. Why not get out of the city and explore the nearby regions? Drive an hour or two North, South, or East, and you’ll end up spending the weekend lounging poolside. What’s...
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Schramsberg 2013 Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine
Schramsberg 2013 Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine
"You reserve grilling steaks for your grandson’s birth, right? And you wouldn’t dare see that hot, new film until your daughter graduates from high school, or stick your toes in a cool, sandy beach until New Year’s Eve -- yes? "A good life includes a string of good experiences, and we take them where we can get (or make) them. So why are so many people holding off on enjoying bubbly until they have something to celebrate? Sparkling wine is a fruity, refreshing sip after work; or a great conversation starter at dinner -- and it adds an extra note...
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California’s Grand Cru Chardonnays
California’s Grand Cru Chardonnays
“The greatest Chardonnay vineyards of Burgundy-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne, to name two—bask in near universal acclaim from the world’s wine collectors. For centuries, winemakers have coveted the fruit from these grand crus, which are concentrated within walking distance of the town of Beaune. “In California, winemakers also have identified their top sites for Chardonnay—vineyards that make wonderful, distinctive and sometimes ageworthy wines year after year. But unlike Burgundy, these prized plots are scattered along more than 300 miles, from northern Sonoma County to Santa Barbara. “Many are just two or three decades old, but a few go back to the 1960s,...
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Remaking Beaujolais’ Moulin à Vent
Remaking Beaujolais’ Moulin à Vent
“You’d think with a posh name like Chateau du Moulin à Vent and possessed of an 18th-century pile that could have served very well as a location for Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the owners would do all they could to capitalize on these assets and make classy wine they could sell for big money. “But no, they didn’t. “Until 2009, at least, the disinterested owners of Chateau du Moulin à Vent in Beaujolais sold 98% of their wine in bulk to négociants and pocketed the cash without having to deal with the inconvenient business of marketing and selling the stuff. “This...
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Getting Schooled in Sonoma: At Arista
Getting Schooled in Sonoma: At Arista
PART 2: IS RUSSIAN RIVER PINOT NOIR AS CALIFORNIAN AS PINOT GETS? “On a hot August day, Ben McWilliams drove us around his 36-acre Russian River estate in a four-person golf cart. He was still dressed in a ballcap, T-shirt and jeans from working amongst the vines, and I thought, this juxtaposition was the perfect symbol of the Sonoma wine country experience: At it’s heart, it is still very much a farming community. Always has been, always will be. But the people who come here looking to drink its luxurious wines? Well, they probably expect to hitch a ride in...
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Why Chêne Bleu’s Pont des Arts rosé deserves serious attention
Why Chêne Bleu’s Pont des Arts rosé deserves serious attention
“Chêne Bleu is a winery that is always coming up with surprises and new ideas. Its ‘Super Rhône’ status is well deserved. Geoffrey Dean explains how owner Nicole Rolet has teamed up with Thibault Pontallier to create a very special rosé as part of his Pont des Arts series of wines. It is already gaining cult status. Here’s how. Geoffrey Dean on a special rosé that is a combination of great terroir, winemaking and art. “Investors who like a balanced portfolio of wines might want to consider a top-end rosé that is available in the UK from mid-August through Justerini...
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GRIEVE FAMILY VINEYARDS: ADVENTURE INTO LOVALL VALLEY
GRIEVE FAMILY VINEYARDS: ADVENTURE INTO LOVALL VALLEY
“Can a part of Napa only be accessible by way of Sonoma? Impossible, I think. I review my directions again. You see, I live in Napa. Today I am heading to a winery called Grieve Family Vineyards. I know Sonoma pretty well, but I’ve never heard having to go to Sonoma to get back to a one way in, one way out Napa. Hoping Waze, the map app is not messing with my mind; let the journey begin. “The route is familiar heading to Sonoma until I get to a fork in the road. I’d almost like to head to...
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2016 harvest begins at Schramsberg Vineyards
2016 harvest begins at Schramsberg Vineyards
“Schramsberg Vineyards began the 2016 harvest last Wednesday, Aug. 3, with a traditional ceremony at the winery on Schramsberg Road off Highway 29. Proprietor Hugh Davies, surrounded by his crew of winemakers, friends and family, talked about the timing of the 2016 harvest and its potential. “'The 2015 harvest last year began very early and the amount of available fruit was small. But this year the timing is closer to normal – usually mid-August. And winemakers in the valley will be happier because the 2016 rains have meant there’s an abundance of fruit.' “The grapes crushed last Wednesday came from...
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Napa Sauvignon Blanc That Defies Expectation
Napa Sauvignon Blanc That Defies Expectation
“… Well, Grieve Family Wines Sauvignon Blanc is pretty damn good. “This wine was different. Way different. The standard profile of Sauvignon Blanc — whether its from California, Chile, Argentina or New Zealand — recalls peach, lime and fresh-cut grass, with loads of acidity and a sharp, stunted finish. It can be wonderful at first sip, but it quickly gets old. More importantly (and here’s what informs my bias), it doesn’t feel like much of an adventure: where’s the deviation? Where’s the sense of place? “This Sauvignon Blanc, however, deviated into wonderful new territory. Every sip revealed a new layer...
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Domaine Laroche and the elegant wines of Chablis
Domaine Laroche and the elegant wines of Chablis
“Many people do not think Chablis is chardonnay but just a dry white wine that people love,” explained Gwenaël Laroche of Domaine Laroche as she spoke. “Chablis is in a class of its own.” “Chablis is located in the northernmost region of Burgundy, France. With a cool continental climate and soils consisting of limestone over marine fossil-rich Kimmeridgian clay, Chablis is home to chardonnay, and only chardonnay, making one-third of the total production of white wine in Burgundy. “Chablis is the real image of Burgundy,” Laroche said. There are 40 Premier Cru vineyards and seven Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis....
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