Robert Mondavi left a great legacy to the Napa Valley but one of his most enduring gifts may be the core values he drove into his own team of successors, each of whom have also changed the world of wine in their own way
The last thing I expected to hear at a posh luncheon showcasing the record-breaking Auction Napa Valley Cabernet, the 2016 Fourmeaux, presented by the distinguished Jean-Noel Formeaux of a centuries-old Bordeaux family, was that the VGS of VGS Chateau Potelle, stands for “Very Good S**t”. Seriously.
During Premier Napa Valley, the trade have an opportunity to blind taste through three different vintages of 15 Napa Valley producers’ Cabernet Sauvignon wines. My original interest in attending this tasting in the past was to see if there was discernible vintage character, but now I also seek out brand styles, consistency and quality as they leap out of the glass vintage after vintage, and back-to-back.
The 2016 Napa Harvest is underway. At home, I hand-harvested my own single-vineyard, dry-farmed Zinfandel grapes last week and wanted to make a jelly with a little more distinction and less sugar than most. So I thought like a winemaker. I fermented them.
While El Nino generally turned out to be a bust, it seems to have given the vines just the oomph it needed, along with good weather during bloom. This led to more even fruit set and uniform ripening
Rombauer Vineyards still makes those rich, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays that many people love but at a tasting yesterday, I found that they do so much more. If you haven’t visited them lately, it’s time to revisit and discover their wines all over again.
Singapore may have its hawker fare, LA its food trucks but here in Downtown Napa, we have our own little “pod” of street food, wine country style! These humble eateries have a strong POV with food that is quick, inexpensive and always packed with flavor.
Drought in California is inevitable but at Napa Valley Grapegrower’s inaugural Rootstock Symposium, winegrowers weighed in on conserving water without sacrificing quality.
Culinary cultures and personalities shine in the West End of Downtown Napa. These restaurants may be small, but they are big on …
