With fires, floods and climate change dominating the headlines, one can lose sight of just how wonderful we have it in Northern California with beckoning wine country destinations within easy reach. I was reminded of this in recent weeks as I traveled in Sonoma and Napa, visiting wineries that will be included in Slow Wine Guide 2022. Some were wineries I had covered before, and a few were new to me, or had changed ownership and were run by fresh, new talent.
Both Napa and Sonoma were hopping: restaurants were full, sidewalks were busy, and there was an air of delight as people celebrated the reopening of beloved places.
On a different visit, I spent a late lunch in mid afternoon in Yountville, at Bistro Jeanty, where I met couples from Pasadena, and San Fernando Valley enjoying weekend getaways, a welcome respite from raising kids at home during confining times. The weather was glorious. And so were the wines.
Wine country has a great big Welcome Back vibe now.
Jennifer's meticulous notes on each and every wine in each and every vintage are very impressive. |
In Oakville, Napa Wine Co.'s new tasting room makeover feels like a natural now, showcasing the heritage of the Hoxseys and the rest of the descendants of the Pelissa family, who are on their 119th harvest this year. Their portfolio of three brands is amazing, as are their vineyards, some of which are adjacent to Opus One and To Kalon
Their Elizabeth Rose is the only value brand in Napa that I know of, and one can shop there for quality wines at affordable, everyday wine prices. Their Oakville Winery wines are also a good choice. The Ghost Block wines represent their top of the line parcels in Yountville and Oakville.
The photos are all real people–no models here. |
Yes that is a tractor tire chandelier. And it works. The winery wanted to let its brand tell the story of the family as farmers first. They are the largest growers of organic grapes in Napa. |
In 2021, the estate is going through big changes.
Additional acreage is being planted and only choice blocks of Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer are being preserved. New plantings include Malbec and Gamay Noir. |
After the fires and the pandemic struck, the Halls decided to pull back–Ted Hall had already experienced the horrors of the Nuns Fire and its destructive path in the Mayacamas and the 2020 fire came perilously close to Stony Hill. He sold Stony Hill in December to Gaylon Lawrence Jr.'s team, again keeping the estate in good hands. Demeine has assembled a blue chip portfolio of many of Napa's classic estates, putting Stony Hill in very good company. However, the wines are no longer available for sale by the bottle unless you are on their allocation list.
Stony Hill winemaker Jaime Motley and estate director Laurie Taboulet |
Taboulet, a graduate of Kedge Wine Business school in Bordeaux, gave me a vineyard tour, showing me the extensive new plantings and replanting underway at the estate.
Proprietor Mark Neal, his daughter Jessica Neal, and winemaker Jordan Stanley |
The last winery of the day was Neal Family Vineyards on Howell Mountain, where Mark Neal was ebullient after his new wedding. The long time organic vineyard expert, who has converted more vines in Napa to organic than any other vineyardist, was elated to be doing more talks online, buoyed perhaps by his new wife, who does talks for women's empowerment. She's currently training for an Ironman.
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