Napa winery tasting breakdown...
Tasting Prices:
We aren’t posting tasting prices for Napa because we were there during ‘crush’ and there are different coupons you can get online when it isn’t prime season. SO – our advice is to check online for coupons a week or two before you go and then download any apps that will give you instant coupons at the wineries if you check in and like them on their Facebook or website pages.
Darioush: For the reader’s purposes, this won’t necessarily seem like a logical ‘on a budget’ choice of wineries to taste at. BUT – you need to determine before you go to Napa what your budget is and then add in some splurge tastings – We would argue that Darioush is a great choice. The tasting room building is very cool and has some great features like side seating areas that you can reserve that have couches and a view of the main tasting bar. Those Winos who want to have a really interesting environment to taste in – Darioush is a good choice. Having said that, their wines are admittedly going to be a splurge purchase…
2012 Signature Sauvignon Blanc ($45) Don’t panic, this isn’t a real Sauv Blanc – this wine can compete with the boldest steel fermented Chards. Coming from AZ, we were searching for some Sauv Blancs to survive the last month of summer – Mark was quoted as saying ‘Best Sauv Blanc Ever’…. Denise recommends food with pear and blue cheese.
2011 Duel ($55) With 70% Shiraz and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a bold red that screams ‘drink me with pork, plum, and autumn foods…’
2009 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon ($95) With ‘legs for days’ this is like drinking in goodness with a mellow start and a biting finish that explains why it’s a Napa Cab. Put a steak on the grill that has been rubbed with peppercorns, make a black cherry reduction and greens of your choice and absorb the breadth of this wine.
Peju: Ok Winos…if you go to Napa and don’t visit Peju you may be missing the ultimate wine tasting experience. First of all, this is one of the few wineries that are open past 5pm. Second, and most importantly…Alan is the supreme sommelier of the world, cultural entertainer, and he is in the tasting room. Mark and I have been coming to Peju together since 1998 and Alan has become not only someone we trust to advise us on the Peju wines but also the latest restaurants to check out during our 3 day weekends. We could give you the whole picture on why Alan is ‘the magic’ of Peju, but it’s really better to go and experience it for yourself. The property is amazing, the people at the winery are friendly and welcoming, and oh by the way…the wine is amazing too.
2012 Sauvignon Blanc ($22) Yes, it’s a real sauvignon blanc – crisp, light, and ready to be chilled and consumed with a chicken or salmon salad that has a vinaigrette to complement the fruit and smooth finish.
2009 Merlot ($35) This is where Peju shines – THE REDS!!!! Since 1988 Mark has been raving about their reds – our wine fridge can attest to this. As a new release, this is typical of the excellence of the vineyard. With 95 points and a Gold Medal at the World Wine Championships, this is a solid and flavorful wine that has a flavorful and wet finish to complement any food. Whether you are drinking this on the porch on an autumn night or celebrating an event with friends, this merlot rises to the occasion.
2010 Zinfandel ($35) This is also a new release… Get ready to take a great flank steak and put it on the grill with a tomato based side dish. Someone near and dear to us was heard to say ‘this is what I want to drink when I am worshipping a cow with a side of potatoes’. I think that pretty much sums up how bold this wine is…the true balance a zinfandel should have when it is released from a winery that knows how to do reds right.
SPLURGE PURCHASE – MUST TASTE!
2010 Fifty/Fifty ($85) This is a wine that is really difficult to describe with words, but we will try. Gopi simplifies the discussion into ‘50% awesome, 50% spectacular’. None of us can clarify more than that, but here are some other pieces of information. Mark stated that this ‘almost gives me a wrelt’ – none of us know what that means, but that isn’t unusual… Denise recommends a dish with duck, or ribs and dark blackberry and blueberry. The bottom line – there is only one wine that Mark and I bought for one of our daughters on her first wine tasting trip with us to Napa – it was this one. It’s special, it is a wine to bring out when you really have wine drinkers in your presence. WINOS – BUY THIS!!!!!
Crocker & Starr: Winos, this is another splurge option and you need a reservation, BUT it is very worth it. The wines can only be purchased at the winery and Dawn is a professionally trained chef and she knows her wine better than most of the sommeliers in the Valley. She is engaging, friendly, and makes the most novice or sophisticated wine drinker feel at home in an intimate setting. The old Napa wine tasting format is alive and well in the white house and tasting at the wood banquet table looking at the vast vineyards of vibrant red vines that have been patiently and carefully loved by the winemaker. Oh, and yes, Pam Starr the winemaker is truly an amazing person who shares her passion for the grapes, process, and the outcomes. Get ready Winos…this is a unique wine tasting that you should try not to miss.
2012 Sauvignon Blanc ($34) It may seem like our search for Sauv Blancs to save us from the AZ summer would skew our perspective on the options we tasted, but believe us there were plenty we didn’t bother writing about. Unbelievable…that’s really the only comments that Mark and I have about this Sauv Blanc. Get some chicken breasts, prosciutto and gruyere ready for this one… For our vegetarian friends, eggplant roasted with olive oil and quinoa will complement this wine perfectly. Not only did we purchase a Magnum for the car (we had Tania, so we were fine…) but we shipped some back. By the way, we learned a very important fact here – ‘if you are going to have a Magnum, you need a wine condom’.
THE STAR – really amazing and separates itself from others…
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($110) Winos, we know that this may not fit your budget. You are tasting so you can go there! Are your parents having a wedding anniversary and they have a clue about wine? Will you be securing that contract with the big client and you want to invite your friends to celebrate? Do you want a bottle to keep for your next significant event with family and friends and this is one to it to break out your best beef wellington recipe – Dawn threw in her expert 2 cents on some roasted baked potatoes with a mushroom duxelle (including gorgonzola and truffle).
Merryvale: Perfectly situated in the center of the Napa winery wine tasting area, Merryvale provides Winos a great option for not only tasting some wines that can only be purchased at the winery, but also several that can be found at Total Wine and other retail stores. Their signature has been found to be an inappropriate watering hole for some Winos (not these…) but it serves as a great pinnacle of their winery and also provides a meeting place for groups. So, when you see the prices, check out your local options before deciding to purchase on site. We decided to taste some of the varietals you may be able to find at retail but have their ‘Signature’ or ‘Vineyard Designate’ tasting list recognition.
2012 Chardonnay, Hyde Vineyard ($22) With lots of varied fruits, this is a very approachable Chard that was described by one of our Winos as ‘doesn’t need to sneak up on you like a Navy Seal’’ By the way…that’s a complement. It’s a straightforward chardonnay that does what it should. Using neutral oak takes the butter out that some Napa wines are characteristically known for. Take this out to the patio with fruit, salsa, cheese, nuts and crackers.
2011 Pinot Noir ($35) The fruit in this is true to the wine. Good choice for a reasonably priced pinot to pair with lamb with a cherry sauce to complement the flavors that the winemaker focused on.
2010 Merlot ($48) It’s a merlot…get some pork or lamb and ask Rosemary (the herb) to come over.
Sinskey: Off of Silverado Trail, this is a winery that has a great location for midday or borderline late afternoon tasting. The tasting pours are fair and they offer a sample of their kitchen’s menu with their tasting cost which is unique to Napa. But, this isn’t a place we purchased any wine. 90% of their wines can be found on restaurant lists and there weren’t any stand outs that we would write home about…
2012 Pinot Gris ($32) This is a subtle and crisp drink with no back end taste that some pinot gris may have when they are working between a sauv blanc and chard tasting. It’s refreshing and would be the one we tasted to search for on a restaurant menu. We believe they may be serving food to disguise the marginality of all their wines overall unfortunately.
Salvestrin: NEW GREAT WINOS FIND… You need an appointment but DON’T make this keep you from going here! We got an appointment on the same day during crush because their staff is amazing. While we are talking about their staff, we need to mention Michelle Blanco. As our tasting sommelier, Michelle provided us information about the winery’s history – family owned since 1932, the winemaker, the family, and of course the wines. Next, they have completely done it right by having a patio with couches and large chairs to sit right next to the vines…really? – YES. Now, not all their wines are going to meet your budget (depending on what that is), but tasting there is truly a positive experience we would recommend.
2012 Sauvignon Blanc ($24) This white grows up ½ in steel and ½ in neutral oak – which is really irrelevant to us.. It’s crisp and light with a nonfruity taste that according to one of our relatives ‘goes both ways’. Here are your menu choices for this wine – we bought several bottles…. Chicken, Caesar salad, fish (salmon), and crème fraise with citrus.
2011 Petite Sirah ($48) With a context that was described by our group as ‘bonerlicious but not woody’ and ‘like Jack Johnson meets James Taylor’, this wine makes a white wine drinker consider conversion. Only 4 rows of vines produce this, so if you can get there to get some – make it happen.
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ($60) For a couple of us Winos, this may be outside our normal range, but When in Napa…. As a cab that ‘tells a story’ you can sip this before dinner, with dinner, or after dinner. If you choose the with dinner option, consider ribs in a maple/honey bbq sauce and roasted vegetables.