November '13 Grand Cayman Vacation Bonus - Seven Fathoms Rum Tour

No good vacation is complete without a nice tour, for me those tours preferably include the creation of wine and/or spirits. We decided to take a jaunt to Grand Cayman, given that our other new yuppie activity is diving. Dive trips are great for several reasons, one being that normally you dive in the morning, then have the rest of the day to explore the area. In doing some research on Trip Advisor, I came across Seven Fathoms. Being that I'm interested in both drinking and nerding out about drinking, it seemed like a solid choice.

Cayman Spirits Company ($10 tour, rums $24-$40)
Governor's Reserve Rum line (Coconut, Banana, Gold, Spiced, Dark), Seven Fathoms Rum
The lobby and tasting room is decorated with interesting old diving equipment and locally made goods - spices, etc. When we arrived, Walker Romanica was finishing up with another group, so we poked around while we waited. Walker is the co-founder and the head distiller, so we were excited to have him as our guide. He seemed a bit tentative about getting too technical with us, but we assured him that we were definitely into geeking out about the rum-making process. He poured us samples of the various Governor's Reserve rums, and we headed to the distilling floor.
Walker and his partner Nelson got started with the business only seven years ago, and the warehouse that we visited had opened just a few

months prior, so Walker was very proud to show off the new equipment and to explain their methods. As the first and only distillers to make rum in Grand Cayman, the goal is to make a spirit that captures the essence of the island. Walker was born and raised in Cayman, so he is driven to represent his home well. They try to source as much of the sugar cane (which is the central component of the rum) from local growers, though because there's not huge sugar cane farms on the island, they do import some. As well, the coconuts that are used in the coconut rum and the spices that are used in the spiced rum are locally sourced. Walker did a bang up job explaining the distilling process, and I got a good sense that they really care about making a good quality product. Briefly we discussed the aging process, which varies for the different rums, but is done in old Makers Mark barrels. The unique process that we chatted about was the Seven Fathoms Rum, which is barrel aged for one to three years 42 feet underwater in a secret location off the island. We had a number of questions about this process, such as: Do the barrels ever leak and get the fish drunk? How well concealed are the barrels? etc. Walker was a bit cagey in response to these questions - apparently they are quite worried about people figuring out where the rum is and stealing it.
We went back to the tasting bar and tried the rest of the offerings. I have to say that all of the rums were quite delicious. We tried the Governors Reserve Rum line - Coconut, Banana, Gold, Dark, and Spiced. The Coconut was great quality - a true flavor that was well integrated. The Dark Rum was very enjoyable - subtle and serious. The Seven Fathoms was awesome. The idea of the unique aging process is to have the underwater waves agitate the rum so that it gains a depth of character from that constant activity. I've never had a rum with such complexity. It reminded me of a good quality whiskey. Walker asked us if we wanted to try a few new items. Being game drinkers, we were up to the task. First up was a new product that's just about to be rolled out: their Gun Bay Vodka (the name Gun Bay refers to the site of an important historical event in Cayman - the Wreck of the Ten Sail), the Vodka was extremely smooth and enjoyable. Finally we tried a seasonal product, their white rum infused with Scotch Bonnet peppers - it had the perfect amount of spice, enough to make you snap to attention, but not so much to blow you away.

I'm limited in my knowledge about rums, but I was very pleased with our visit. Walker was a great host, we learned tons on the tour, and the rum was great.

December '12 Local Visit - Malibu Wines

This year my work decided to have our holiday party at a local winery - not my idea - I swear. One of my coworkers is actually a member of Malibu Wines, and thoughts that it would be a great location for us to celebrate the end of the year.  It's is a short drive from LA (if the traffic gods are smiling), but it's definitely a world apart. The hillsides are steep and beautiful.

Saddlerock NV Sparkling Brut, Saddlerock NV Sparkling Rosé, Saddlerock '10 Chardonnay, Saddlerock '11 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Saddlerock '10 Merlot, Semler '08 Cabernet Sauvignon, Semler '08 Syrah

Yeah - a wine themed aquarium

Our party was on a Friday morning, we were the majority of the people there at the time, though it appears that they can get really busy. There's tons of outdoor tables, chairs, and bars to accommodate crowds. There's definitely a faux-shabby/rustic vibe throughout - wine sculptures, re-purposed barrels on the lawn, a fish tank on a wagon, rock buildings for the bars, etc. The seating areas are comfortable, with adirondack chairs with slots in the arm rests for wine glasses. There was a scenic seating area up on a slight plateau above the winery that looked out over the whole area.
The staff didn't share a lot of details about the wine - they definitely had there hands full with our group of 40, and did an admirable job. We tasted most of the wines at the winery, and then took a shuttle bus tour of the Semler family estate and vineyards that are adjacent to the winery.

Saddlerock Peak

Once on the shuttle we learned the story of the Semler family and Malibu Wines. Ron Semler is a very successful businessman, involved in defense contracts, mining, etc. He purchased Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, and as his business ventures became more successful he added more elements to the ranch. Now, in addition to having 65 acres of vineyards, there is an extensive equestrian center. As well there are zebras, camels, emus, buffalo, and other exotic animals. Finally, Ron Semler has an extensive collection of Airstream trailers, classic trucks, and the yellow Volkswagon Bus from the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" ... so there's that.
As impressive and showy as the property is, the wine is nothing spectacular. They were generally mellow and easy to drink, but offered very little complexity and were overtly fruity. Most of the wines that we drank were from the Saddlerock label, meaning that the wine was made from grapes grown throughout the Central Coast. The Chardonnay was the the most enjoyable. It was light and friendly - mostly matured in stainless steel. The Rosé was a whiff. I've thought for a long time that Rosé is a easy to make wine, most that I've had are delicious, not this one though. Too sticky and the nice vegital note that I enjoy was covered up by the sweetness. The Merlot and the Cab seemed to be divergent takes of the same base flavor - simple, bland red fruit with no tannins for the Merlot, with tannins for the Cab. The Syrah at the end which they gave to us to accompany our catered lunch was a nice touch, but it as well it was decent but unexciting. Like stereotypical Hollywood starlet Malibu Wines is very pretty, but not deep or interesting.
Experience: B- / Wines: C-

November '12 Santa Barbara Trip - Near and Far

We decided to answer the siren call of Santa Barbara because we had a pickup party to go to at Ampelos - and because we just really wanted to go, and finally had some free time to do so. We went again with our excellent wine friends, and built a trip around checking out places we hadn't been to, and places we thought our friends should be introduced to.

Saturday (Foxen Canyon Rd. / Los Olivos)

foxen 7200 ($10 tasting, wines $26-$50)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc - Vogelzang, '10 Sangiovese - Williamson-Doré, '10 Cabernet Franc - Tinaquaic, '10 Merlot - Vogelzang, '09 Cabernet Sauvignon - Vogelzang

We made a plan to meet up with friends at foxen 7200. As it turns out, the tasting room is way the hell up Foxen Canyon Road, especially when there's some kind of bicycle race going on along Zaca Station Road. Foxen splits it's wines between two labels - Foxen proper is mostly Pinot, and foxen 7200 is bigger reds. As the winery became more successful, they built a larger tasting room, but decided to keep "The Shack" (which is about a quarter mile up the road from the Foxen facility) to have as a tasting room for the foxen 7200 wines.
The Shack certainly was funky, and there was a nice patio and a cool patio cat. The staff were all very happy and took care of us. Across the board, I didn't dig the wines enough to be able to think about buying any, especially considering how costly the bottles were. They were all single vineyard wines, were 100% made with the label grape, and had quality characteristics, but I wasn't a fan of the flavors. The Sauv and the Sangiovese were too tart, and the Merlot and Cab were too simple. The Cab Franc was interesting, but at $48, way too steep.
Experience: B / Wine: C+

Andrew Murray Vineyards ($15 reserve tasting, wines $16-$36)
'11 "RGB" (Roussane/Grenache Blanc), '10 Syrah "Tous les Jours", '10 "Espérance" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre), '10 Syrah - Watch Hill, '09 "Eleven Red" (Cabernet Sauvingnon/Cabernet Franc/Tempranillo/Saniovese), '10 Grenache - Terra Bella, '10 Syrah - Thompson, '10 Syrah - Stolpman
I'd heard about Andrew Murray for a long time, he has a solid reputation in the area for Rhone-style wines. I've been wanting to visit for awhile - so when I finally was back in Los Olivos I made sure to swing by. Unfortunately, I think we chose a poor day to visit. It was busy as hell. Apparently it was the same day as the member party at the vineyard - so members were swinging through the tasting room to say hello.  The tasting room attendant was by herself tried very hard to take care of everyone, but definitely wasn't able to spend time elaborating on the wines or talking about the winery. The tasting room was very modern and chic. There were lots of things for sale - we noticed that there was a large display featuring scented candles for sale, which seemed quite odd in a wine tasting room.
The wines that we tasted were priced on a more reasonable scale than most Los Olivos tasting rooms, which is a big plus for me. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy their wines very much. They all had an artificial quality, and were too simple. The "Eleven Red" was a pretty fun drink, and at $18, well-priced. The big bummer were two wines on the reserve list - the vineyard designated Grenache and the Stolpman Syrah. The Grenache had typical charactaristics - sweetness and edge, but did not weave together well. The Syrah was big clutter of flavor. I'm well acquainted with Stolpman's 2010 Syrahs, and it's interesting to see how different winemaking practices can come up with completely different products even when starting with very similar materials.
Since our visit was so marred by the crush in the tasting room, I think we should try to swing by in the future - but it'll be on "AMV" to convert me into a believer.
Experience: C- / Wines: C+

Sunday (Highway 246 / Los Olivos)

Clos Pepe Vineyards (tour $0, wines $23-$59)
'10 Estate Chardonnay "Hommage to Chablis", '10 Estate Chardonnay "Barrel Fermented", Axis Mundi '10 Grenache/Syrah - Windmill, '09 Estate Pinot Noir, '10 Estate Pinot Noir
Holy fuck - this is a fantastic tour. Wes Hagen is a superb host. I've heard very positive reviews of the Clos Pepe tour for quite a while - and had even looked into booking one last year, but found out that Wes had put the tours on hiatus. A few days prior to heading up for this trip, I thought it might be worth a shot to check and see if the tours were back online. Thankfully they were, and Wes did indeed have an opening for the Sunday of our visit. Here's how Wes described the tour in an email to me:
"Tour usually lasts until around noon or 12:30 - very geeky, very complete. You will learn more about wine in two hours than in your previous lifetime, guaranteed." 
Perhaps not everyone gets stoked about a tour like that - but I sure as hell do!
As advertised the tour was very exhaustive. Wes is extremely knowledgeable about wine and other things - and puts tons of energy in delivering that knowledge in a conversational and entertaining way. He discussed the history of wine, the unique geology of the region, farming techniques, wine making techniques, and lots lots more. At the end of the walk we were taken up to the "big house" where the owners of the winery live. Wes had set up a tasting for us with great cheeses and fresh breads. While he poured the wine samples, we had a great chat about food, politics, and of course wine.
After such an amazing tour and hosting, it would have been a shame if the wines weren't good - but they lived up to the caliber of the day. The two Chardonnays were very well balanced and were top notch quality. It was fun to compare the steel vs. oaked Chard. The steel aka "Hommage to Chablis" was easily more in my wheelhouse and indeed fantastic, but the oaked was built as a different wine and was a star in its own right. The Axis Mundi Grenache/Syrah blend was a neat everyday drinker. Wes actually served it chilled - which while odd - was a solid choice. An easy drinker chilled or not. The Pinots were what we came for and they were hype-worthy. The '09 was a more formal and classy specimen, and the '10 was a bit more audacious. Wes, in great detail, explained that there was a big difference in the weather for those two years. '09 was a great year for wine making in the area, especially for Pinots. '10 was a lot more difficult with a huge heat spike just before harvest. So the '10 was a more plushy and bold than it's predecessor. That being said the '10 was delicious as well, though I preferred the '09 hands down.
After finishing up the tour and tasting, Wes encouraged us to picnic by the pond on the edge of the property, among the willows and ducks. It was a peaceful end to an outstanding experience.
Experience: A+ / Wines: A

Qupé Wines (tasting $10, wines $18-$45)
Verdad '11 Grenache Rosé - Sawyer Lindquist, '11 Chenin Blanc, '11 Viognier - Ibarra-Young, '10 Grenache - Sawyer Lindquist, Verdad '09 Tempranillo - Sawyer Lindquist, Ethan '09 Sangiovese - Alisos, '09 Syrah - Sawyer Lindquist, '07 Syrah - Alisos
There's plenty of discussion around the idea that people's tastes for wines change over time. What once was thought to be a great wine can years later be considered okay. I'm not sure if that explains the shift in my feelings toward Qupé,  but it may have something to do with it. Not that I hated or even disliked the wines this time around, but I wasn't blown away by it as I was on my first visit, this time around it was more pedestrian.
The tasting room was pretty calm during this visit, mid-afternoon on a warm Sunday. The staff person was nice. Lots of stuff for sale on the walls.
The wines varied for me from decent to pretty good. I didn't find the Rosé or the Viognier to be very appealing. The Chenin Blanc was a nice drinker - well balanced citrus with cream. As on our first visit, I enjoyed the Tempranillo, which is normally a wine that I dislike quite a bit. Both Syrahs were pretty good - though the '09 was preferable. The wine prices were reasonably set for the area.
Not sure what exactly fell off for me with Qupé. Certainly I've done a look more wine tasting in the last year and a half - but I can't think that my tastes have changed that much. Perhaps its a case of too high expectations. It's no longer one of my top places to visit, but still a very solid joint.
Experience: B / Wines: B-

Dragonette Cellars (tasting $10, wines $25-$58)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc (Santa Ynez Valley), '11 Sauvignon Blanc (Happy Canyon), '11 Sauvignon Blanc - Grassini, '10 "Seven" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre/Viognier), '10 "MJM" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre/Viognier)
Perhaps it's on odd numbered visits that I really enjoy wineries. My above Qupé visit was my second, and I was underwhelmed. With Dragonette, I was a huge fan the first time, not as enamored the second time, and now on the third visit - quite impressed. Hopefully I'm not that arbitrary, and and justly reviewing these places.
I'm pretty sure that the thing that bugged me about Dragonette on my last visit, was that it was extremely busy, and the staff was running around frenetically. This time, we had the tasting room to ourselves, and the staff person was awesome and knowledgeable. Dragonette is a very young winery, and it appears to me that they are doing quite well. They were all sold out of their Rosé, their Pinot, and their regular GSM blend.
The wines that we did taste were artfully built. The three Sauvs were quite good, my preference was the Happy Canyon. It had the same brightness of the Santa Ynez, but also showed some minerality, which I'm always a sucker for. The Seven didn't blow me away, but it had qualities that it exhibited that bragged that it was a well built wine. The MJM - the Dragonette flagship wine - was a rockstar, super smooth. In my notes I labeled it as a "classy fellow." Dragonette's prices for their wines is a bit steep, but after tasting the wines the costs seem pretty just.
Experience: B+ / Wines: A-

Aside from the long ass drive up to Foxen while slaloming around the bicyclists, this was a banging trip. On Saturday, we got to see some great countryside, lounged at Stolpman at the end of the day, enjoyed the Ampelos pickup party, and checked out a solid Thai place in Lompoc - Herb Home. Sunday we were treated to the fantastic Clos Pepe, enjoyed a serene picnic, and ended our trip at Dragonette.
I am a bit concerned that I'm developing a bias against older wineries in Santa Barbara. I seem to be a fan of the young, upstart wineries, such as: Samsara, Peidrasassi, Ampelos, and Dragonette. And I have not enjoyed a number of established wineries: Andrew Murray, Zaca Mesa,  Au Bon Climat, to name a few. I'm wondering if it's because I'm buying into the "startup" narrative, or if the established wineries are not making wines that are exciting to me - but for a different audience. I guess I'll have to drink more wine to find out.
According to one tasting room employee, the time between Halloween and Thanksgiving is an excellent time to visit, because so many people avoid traveling at that time. It was super mellow throughout the area during our visit, so I'll plan on trying to swing back through during this time again next year.

June '12 Santa Barbara County Trip - Double Down

We've now been to the Santa Barbara Wine Country so many times that we've probably been to a majority of the wineries - and we have found several places that we really enjoy to visit. This time around we brought good friends who are also wine geeks, but hadn't been to the area, so we really wanted to show them some of our favorite places. So we figured we'd take them to the Wine Ghetto, and a couple of other other highlights in the area as well as check out a few places we hadn't been to before.

Saturday (Highway 246, Lompoc Wine Ghetto)

Dierberg & Star Lane Vineyards (wines $22-$80)
Star Lane '10 Sauvignon Blanc, Dierberg '09 Chardonnay, Dierberg '08 Pinot Noir, Dierberg '08 "Drum Canyon" Pinot Noir, Star Lane '07 Estate (Cab blend), Star Lane '05 Cabernet Sauvignon, Star Lane '06 "Astral" (Bordeaux blend)
By now we are very familiar with Dierberg. It's a solid place to visit - the setting is beautiful and the Dierbergs are talented winemakers. On our previous visit we purchased four bottles of the '09 Sauvignon Blanc because we liked it so much. We had hoped the would still have some in stock, but unfortunately had run out. The '10 Sauv that we tried on this visit was good, but did not hold a candle to its predecessor. Our favorite this time around was the Drum Canyon Pinot Noir - which I believe is their new vineyard right next to the winery.
Experience B / Wines B+

Melville Vineyards & Winery ($10 tasting, wines $26-$52)
'09 Chardonnay, '11 Chardonnay - Clone 76 Inox, '10 Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir - "Carrie's", '10 "Verna's" Syrah
We'd been to Melville once - on our very first wine tasting trip. On that visit, we really enjoyed Melville, but we were curious if we'd dig it the same as the first time, or if as our wine intake increased - thereby making us more discriminating tasters - we'd find that Melville wasn't as great as we had previously though. Lo and behold Melville is still awesome, perhaps even more so that we previously thought. The grounds are great, with an Italian villa style structure, looking out onto the vineyard. We'd brought a picnic lunch, and one of the staff offered to have us sit on the patio, enjoy our lunch, and he'd bring our tasting out to us - quite the solid dude. Totally dug the wines. Prices weren't outlandish, and the baseline Chard and the Syrah were impressive. The wines that are being sold are younger that wines sold elsewhere in the area as far as I could tell - Melville has confidence in the taste of their wines right away and also state that they will age well. Who am I to doubt their recommendation? Their stuff is on point.
Experience B+ / Wines B+

Arcadian Winery ($15 tasting, wines $30-$65)
'06 Chardonnay - Sleepy Hollow, '07 Pinot Noir - Fiddlestix, '06 "Jill's Cuveé Pinot Noir, '06 Syrah - Westerly/Santa Ynez Valley, '06 Syrah - Stolpman, '04 Pinot Noir - Pisoni, '06 Syrah - Purisima
Arcadian is one of the newest additions to the Wine Ghetto, though owner and winemaker Joseph Davis has been creating wine under the Arcadian label since 1996. The wines come from the Santa Lucia Highlands up in Monterey County, as well as in a few different places in Santa Barbara County.  Each bottle that we tried were single vineyard designates. The woman at the tasting room was super stoked on the Arcadian wine, and her abundant enthusiasm was worrisome and infectious at the same time. The wines are all well built - each having unique characteristics but also fitting within a restrained paradigm. We were able to taste a few older vintages - the '04 Pinot was fan-tas-tic. Arcadian's median prices are a bit steep for me, but they are definitely a good addition to the Ghetto.
Experience B / Wines B+

Samsara Wine Company ($10 tasting, wines $22-$46)
'11 Grenache Rosé - Windmill Ranch, '10 Pinot Noir, '09 Pinot Noir - Turner, '09 Pinot Noir - Kessler-Haak, Syrah - Verna's
Our first and only visit to Samsara was over a year ago, and we enjoyed it that first time - especially the Rosé. This second time around, we were really impressed with all of their work. Samsara is a small production winery, putting out less than 1000 cases a year. Chad Melville, the owner, is very interested in natural production, relying upon native yeasts, and does not fine or filter the wine. The dude in the tasting room - Lee - is a super fun cat to chat with. He's very mellow, but also very passionate about wine. He's happy to discuss Samsara and Santa Barbara wine in-depth. The wines are playful, though not obnoxious. All were good, though we most enjoyed the Pinot from Kessler-Haak.
Experience B+ / Wines B+

Jalama Wines ($10 tasting, wines $26-$40)
'09 "Giallo" (Pinot Gris), '08 Pinot Noir, '10 Grenache - La Presa, '10 Mourvedre, '08 Syrah - La Presa, '08 Syrah - Paradise Road
Last year, Jalama was the winery that we were seeking out that drew us to the Wine Ghetto. It's one of two wine labels that are operated by Marc Cargasacchi, the other being the brand new Joseph Blair. We had hoped to visit both during this trip, but Marc was not available that day to run the Joseph Blair room, because a tractor broke down or something. So we had a fun time visiting with Christy at Jalama and plan on visiting the other label in the future. As before, the Jalama wines were very good. The Mourvedre was very fun to drink, and the La Presa Syrah really knocked my socks off.
Experience B / Wines B+

Sunday (Alamo Pintado Rd., Los Olivos)

Rideau Vineyard (tour, wines $18-$35)
'10 Viognier, '10 "Siempre" Albariño, '09 "FDL" Grenache, '07 "'FDL' Chateau Duplantier" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre), '10 Riesling
I'd heard good things about Rideau from a few friends, and had planned on going at some point. So when Rideau ran a deal on Travelzoo I grabbed it. The deal was for two people to go on a tour, have a tasting and wine lesson, a cheese pairing, and a bottle of wine to boot. Our guide for the tour was the fantastic Shay. He took great pleasure in telling the history of Rideau, showing the vineyard and the winemaking area. During the pairing, he shared a lot of knowledge about wine appreciation and patiently answered everyone's questions. The force behind Rideau is Iris Rideau, who has had a long and successful career in the financial sector. She appreciated the Santa Ynez area, and was interested in restoring the old adobe bunkhouse that is now the winery. Shay toured us around the grounds, spending a lot of time discussing grape-growing, and a bit about the winemaking process. Rideau focuses largely on Rhone varietals. Their wines are well built - tasty and restrained - but lack excitement. Dug the Grenche most - did not enjoy the Riesling. Most of the wines were affordably priced. The grounds are quite nice, there is a large shaded lawn in the back with tons on seating for picnics. I'd recommend a visit, especially if you can get Shay to be your guide.
Experience A- / Wines B

Stolpman Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $19-$68)
'10 Viognier, '09 "L'Avoin" (Roussanne), '10 Grenache, '10 "La Coppa" Sangiovese, '08 Sangiovese, '10 Syrah, '10 "High Density Hilltops" Syrah, '10 "Angeli" Syrah
The previous two times that we visited Stolpman, we've really enjoyed ourselves - somehow this time was even better. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and when we walked inside, an employee named Tom asked if we'd prefer to enjoy our tasting on the front patio. It was a beautiful day, and being able to enjoy Stolpman wine while watching folks passing by on the street was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon. Tom was a tremendous host, he was excited to discuss the wines and was able to answer my numerous in depth. I wasn't a huge fan on the whites, they were good wines, but they didn't tickle my fancy. However, the reds were all a hit with me. The Grenache was a really interesting wine - it was wispy slight, but still had a firm structure. The "Angeli" Syrah was awesome - Angeli is Stolpman's reserve wine. What's neat about their wines is that the wines that we were being served were young and could use some aging, but were good to drink right away.
Experience A / Wines A-

This trip reaffirmed our enthusiasm for the Santa Barbara region and likely made converts out of our first-time visiting friends. On each trip we take to the area, there is at least one or two places that really do a fantastic job of ensuring that we have a great time. The staff at the different wineries are often so friendly and passionate about the wine that it's impossible to not get caught up in the excitement. This time around, every place that we went to we had great conversations with winery staff - Lee at Samsara, Shay at Rideau, and Tom at Stolpman were standouts. Between the excellent people and the delicious wine, how doesn't one become a wine geek?

August '11 Napa Trip - Tours, Disappointment, and Kick-Assery

After spending two days enjoying the hell out of Sonoma, we jumped over to Napa. I knew that Napa was likely to be more expensive, more snotty, and probably less fun. But it is the mecca of domestic wine, so I had to go. We based our list off of accumulated recommendations from friends. 


Monday (Rutherford)
Road Music: Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die 


Frog's Leap ($20 tour, wines $18-$75)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Chardonnay, '08 Merlot, '07 'Rutherford' Cabernet Sauvignon, '08 Petite Sirah, '08 Zinfandel.
Visiting Frog's Leap is like visiting a friend's large vacation rental. It is a welcoming and peaceful environment. The tour started in the vineyard, stopped off in the orchard, the crush pad, the barrel warehouse, and ended in the processing barn. Sean was a tremendous guide and host. At each stop we were poured a different glass of wine. All of the wine was very good. The Rutherford Cab was incredible. After the tour was over we were encouraged to relax anywhere on the grounds or even continue to explore. Frog's Leap is known for being non-traditional and quirky, as well they are extremely friendly and open - which in my limited experience in Napa strays from the norm. An additional plus - Frog's Leap works hard at utilizing environmental sustainable techniques such as dry-irrigation.
Experience: A+ / Wines: A-  


Cakebread Cellars ($15 tour, wines $24-$61)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '08 Chardonnay, '08 Chardonnay Reserve, '09 Zinfandel, '06 Cabernet Sauvignon, '08 Syrah.
Several of my friends are big fans of Cakebread wines, so I made sure to put it on the must visit list. We were confused about what we had signed up for when we arrived. The woman at the main desk checked our reservation, then poured us our first glass of wine. She then simply directed us to sit outside on benches in the parking lot, among the cars and heavy equipment. For about ten minutes I thought this was going to be where we were going to have our tasting. Eventually our tour guide gathered us up, and began our tour. The tour started in the gardens, made a few stops in the vineyard, and then back into the garden. Our tour guide was nice enough, but seemed to be speaking from a well-rehearsed monologue, and the content of the tour was pretty superficial. The wines were pretty darn good, but the overall experience at the winery left a lot to be desired. 
Experience: C- / Wines: B+


Rutherford Hill Winery ($25 tour)
'06 Merlot, '07 Cabernet Franc, '06 Cabernet Sauvignon, '07 Malbec, Luke Donald '06 Claret, '06 'Devil's Peak', '04 Zinfandel Port.
Going on a third tour in one day was a bad choice. Not only was taking another tour on a hot day a bad choice, the tour itself was bad. The tour guide was a crotchety guy who would only take questions at very specific instances. He seemed to be speaking from a script and was passionless about the delivery of that script. The tour started outside at the hilly overlook, headed into the large caves where the barrels are stored (which was our main interest in the tour), and then into the production area. The caves are a pretty awesome thing to see, but the guide managed to make them underwhelming with his soulless tour. The wines that we tried were all okay, but nothing at all impressive. Rutherford Hill does have a nice view of Napa Valley from the eastern slope, so if you decide to go there, make sure to bring a picnic. 
Experience: D / Wines: C+


Tuesday (Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford)
Road Music: Massive Balloon - Massive Balloon


Clos Pegase ($20 tasting?, wines $28.50-$48)
'07 'Hommage' Chardonnay, '08 Pinot Noir, '07 Cabernet Franc, '07 Syrah, '07 Cabernet Sauvignon.
We went to Clos Pegase due to their reputation for having awesome art and architecture. We had also heard good things about their wine. On both fronts we were pleased. We arrived slightly before the winery opened, so we checked out the outdoor sculptures while we waited. The buildings seem slightly run down - paint was chipping, and the place felt a bit dour - though since we were the first there it was quite empty, which could have added to the starkness. Maybe once more people arrive that feeling may change. We were attended to by Harry, who was extremely intelligent and happy to share information. I dug the wines. The Chardonnay was excellent, and the Cab Franc and the Cab Sauv were really enjoyable. 
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+


Long Meadow Ranch Winery ($20 Signature Flight tasting, wines $19-$85)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '04 Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 E.J. Church Cabernet Sauvignon, '08 Ranch House Red.
A good friend directed us to Long Meadow Ranch. The tasting room has a stylish modern western vibe to it. They also raise beef and produce, so there is a focus on the intersection of food and wine. It was quiet in the tasting room, and the staff were nice though distant. It was a bit of a sterile place - there was nothing special about the experience. The Cabs and the Ranch House Red were very tasty. 
Experience: B- / Wines: B+


St. Supéry Vineyards & Winery ($15 tasting)
'09 Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc, '06 Estate Edu (Cab Blend), '06 Estate Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 Estate Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 Merlot, '06 Petit Verdot, '06 Malbec.
This is a behemoth of a complex. The space has a very corporate feel. Inside is not much different. The tasting room is quite large, though since it was an off-day, there were only a few other visitors there. Quickly the corporate feeling eroded, as our pourer - Joe - began to chat with us. He was a fun guy, and had lots to talk with us about. He definitely put me at ease. Toward the end of our tasting Joe encouraged us to go upstairs to check out the art and exhibits. The wine-themed exhibits were not that great, but there was an awesome Wayne Thiebaud exhibit up there. We enjoyed the wine quite a bit. Each one had refined characteristics but expressed individuality. 
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+


Heading into Napa I was warned that the region was largely snotty and corporate. In general that seemed to be true. Napa is one of the most important wine growing regions in the world - so of course big money is going to being prevalent. But in instances the wine tasting experience is well delivered so the corporatism doesn't mar the experience. Frog's Leap seems to completely side-step (or hop) the issue by having a different model. Clos Pegase and St. Supéry are very corporate, but they hire smart tasting room folks and serve great wine, so it works out. My experiences at Cakebread and Rutherford Hill were negatively affected by the corporate atmosphere though. The number of wineries in Napa is huge, so I'm sure that there are lots more hyper-corporate places, corporate-but-good paces, and completely original places for me to visit in the future.