Wine For Novices

Chateau Montelena

What a beautiful setting. Chateau Montelena features terrific wine and is also the second oldest winery in Napa Valley. Hailing back to 1896.

Their Chardonnay stole my heart AND my palette. The best chardonnay of my life.  Wow! Shades of muscat and pear.

Pictured is their fabulous tasting room.

Napa Valley Day 3...

More photographs HERE.

Ehlers Estate Vineyard

Winemaker Rudy Zuidema of Ehlers Estate, a passionate and knowledgeable  young man, makes some of the best wine I have ever tasted.

Keegan, Francisco and Rudy rolled out the red carpet for Charles and I as we toured the estate, listened to the philosophy of organic and bio-dynamic
viticulture, and enjoyed phenomenal barrel tasting.

Great pictures of the stunningly beautiful Ehlers Estate to follow tomorrow.

Miner Family Vineyards

My friend Charles Robinson and I are enjoying the gracious hospitality of Dave and Emily Miner in Napa Valley, California this week. I have found Dave to be a music lover, a guitar player and collector. Emily practices yoga, enjoys running and is a tremendous cook. They work together in their remarkable family wine business.

Dave and Emily have been featured on the cover of Wine Spectator. Read more of what others say about their wines HERE.

We savored a wonderful dinner last night at their home featuring buffalo roast, russian potatos in olive oil, fresh vegetables and a salad with lemon dressing Emily prepared from scratch.

And the wines...oh, the wines. We started the evening with conversation about Native American heritage, then moved on to music (EmmyLou Harris, Yes,  Rick Wakeman, Lyle Lovett), then to British Literature (Shakespeare, Donne, Milton) accompanied by a L'Ermitage Brut 2000 Anderson Valley Sparkling Wine by Roderer Estate $32.95. It was an exquisite start.

A delicious variety of cheese and almonds followed with a glass of Dave's Rosella's 777 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2005 It was the best Pinot I have yet tasted. Layered and seductive. Only 200 cases were produced and there is no more available.

The buffalo roast came off the "Big Green Egg"grill accompanied by two spectacular wines that were a gift from a friend of Charles (Jason) who is an avid wine collector.

A 1998 Groffier Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares Red Burgundy and a 1998 Paul Jaboulet Aine La Chapelle de L'Hermitage Premier Cru Rhone. Both of these wines proved exceptional. I LOVED the spicy cinnamon of the Rhone. It was a lovely moment in an evening of lovely moments.

Today features barrel tastings with Dave in the Miner caves and more interviews.

More here soon...including fascinating interviews with Michael Honig, Brett deLeuze of ZD Wines and Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena.