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| Frank Family Vineyards |
It is this simple, siren-luring philosophy of Napa Valley that motivated me to endure training during the hottest, most humid months in Florida for this Friday and Saturday's 36 hour, 200 mile, 12 runner Napa Ragnar Relays. Napa: the carrot at the end of the stick.
So since it's been over a decade since I've been to this laid-back, wine and foodie heaven, I decided to reeducate myself on the geographically blessed area of our country that was destined to be one of the gems for local produce, livestock and internationally-known wines (who doesn't love the underdog triumphs of the movie "Bottle Shock").
I started with Mr. Laube's quick narrative and then found myself wanting to know more specific things that make the wine country great. Here are my top three from all my internet sleuthing but if you want a great website for worthwhile travel info and for purposes of this blog post, all things Napa, check out 30 Things to Do In Napa Valley from This is My Happiness.
My Top 3:
1. Enjoy the views:
After picking up our sandwiches from Oakville Grocery (local and tourist favorite for top notch, local ingredient sandwiches and salads), we'll head out on Highway 29 to Frank Family Vineyards for a picnic lunch then head to one of their tastings. This popular winery is known for its warm and friendly tastings of its award winning Zins and Cabs.
2. Take a Winery Tour:
Besides Frank Family Vineyards, I am so excited for Del Dotto's Cave Tour and Barrel Tasting where you are illuminated only by candlelight, and you get to taste straight from the barrels, generous pours selected seemingly at random as your guide takes you deep into the caves.
It's going to be a great day with additional stops at Reynold's Family Winery on the famous Silverado Trail and Gundlach Bundschu Winery along the border of Napa/Sonoma.
When in Napa I imagine it would be quite a memorable day by just jumping in your car and picking and choosing your wine touring stops spontaneously; there are that many good wineries in the area!
3. Pick One Memorable Meal:
With so many choices, this can be an affordable or all-out expense and everything in between because Napa has it all. The one thing the wine country dining has in common- always fresh, local and one-of-a-kind (no chains here thankfully).
Our most memorable meal will most likely be at Bottega, Michael Chiarello's restaurant showcasing his signature bold Italian flavors I fell in love with on his Napa-based Food Network show, Easy Entertaining. It'll be "all-out" for sure, so I look forward to some simpler, less expensive eating (our picnic lunch will be at the top of the list), perhaps at one the suggestions from this Napa on a Budget Guide. There is always breakfast with recommendations from Wine Enthusiast's Top 10 Napa/Sonoma Breakfast Spots.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cabernet Sauvignon is the signature wine of Napa valley due to the area's unique growing climate; it does not rain very often, gets a lot of sun during the day, and the early morning fog keeps the grapes moist and cool- all ideal for keeping Cabernet Sauvignon grapes very happy (and all of us red wine drinkers want those grapes to be very very happy:).
There is a science behind swirling the wine in the glass (so think twice about labeling the person next to you at the bar as a "wine snob"). It's called orbital shaking (or "swirling" 'cause really, could you see yourself saying "let's orbital shake our wine first"- talk about wine snob!) which introduces oxygen ( the molecule O2 if we are staying all science-geeky) to the wine, releasing its aromas.
Beaujolais is pronounced "boo-zho-lay" and Viognier is pronounced "voyhn-yah"
Crushing grapes by foot dates back to 200 B.C.
Close to 80% of what we perceive as taste actually is our sense of smell, hence, why we are back on the subject of sniffing and swirling.
California grape growers are coming off record harvests for 2012 and 2013, but of concern is the 2014 and maybe the 2015 vintage as drought conditions could still play a role in determining quantity as well as quality (good excuse to stock up on your 2012/2013 favs).
The vintage year is not always the year wine is bottled as some wines may not be bottled the same year the grapes are picked. A vintage wine is a product of a single year's harvest. A non-vintage wine is a blend of wines from two or more years.
Darker shades of wine (think your deepest, blackest reds and the most golden whites) usually come from warm climates and are rich and ripe while lighter colors (especially in whites) come from cooler climates and are lighter and less lush.
So on that note, go out and spew forth one or more of these interesting facts about one of our favorite fermented products, preferably with a glass of wine in hand, but don't be a "cork tease" (someone who always blabs about the great wine he or she is about to open but never does;)
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