100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 80 St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley, California

Blog 80 St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley, California

What do I like about St. Supery? Their wines and their hospitality! Their wines are always solid and dependable. No matter where you are across the United States, if there is a St. Supery wine on the menu, at any price, it will live up to its reputation. From their whites to their reds, you can’t go wrong. It was hard for me to find one I did not like and there are many to choose from.

I have belonged to the St. Supery wine club for years. The prices are affordable and for what you are getting, they are outstanding. After all of the years that I have tasted their wines both in their winery and at home, I have not had a complaint. They contact you if they find some wines that were previously sold out. They will give you the chance of purchasing wines that are selling out and they also will answer any questions that you have. Call them anytime and see how friendly they are.

In California, I often host tours and have taken my guests for barrel tastings at St. Supery several times. On each occasion, they have given us a tour and a private barrel tasting as well as a private wine and food pairing. They also have a sensory tour that helps you to know what aromas you may smell in the wine.



If you are in the area of Napa Valley, stop by for a tasting and be sure to go to their gift shop, the sensory area, and enjoy the artwork displayed on the walls.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 79 Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa, California

Blog 79 Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa, California

One of the best places to visit when you head into California wine country is the Robery Mondavi Winery. The Signature tour takes you into the vineyard showing you the path of the grape from vineyard, to cellar, to the finished product in the bottle. Enjoy a sit-down cellar tasting with the wine educator who gives you tips on how to taste wine and drink wine at its best.

Stroll the property and enjoy two great tasting rooms as well as the large gift shop with a vast array of wine gadgets and gifts. The Mondavi Winery is one of the most beautiful open-air properties combining art and wine in the Napa area. The art gallery contains sculptures, artifacts and paintings. There are concerts held on their property and they have even had performers from Ella Fitzgerald to Etta James.



Although Robert Mondavi is no longer with us, his family tradition of making good wine and combining it with food and art has been passed down to his children and grandchildren. Be sure to check out Continuum Estate, Tim and Marcia Mondavi and their children, uphold the family name by making one style of red wine, Continuum, with the highest quality of artistic expression.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 69 Hall in St. Helena, California

Blog 69 Hall in St. Helena, California



Renovations are done at Hall in St. Helena, California. While I love the Rutherford Property for a private formal tasting, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at Hall in St. Helena.





It is a more casual atmosphere with outdoor tables where you can “order from the tasting menu” if you are a member. I was able to have the wines that I wanted and boy did I pick my favorites. I bee lined to the Kathryn Hall 96 point Cabernet Sauvignon. Why not? My taste buds thanked me for it. Prior to this wine being rated, it has always been one of my faves.







The service is outstanding at Hall. They have the outdoor patio, an intimate indoor seating area in a separate room, and the regular stand-up tasting room that is connected to their gift shop. Outside in the parking area and patio area, you will find red art.









There are several very large roses in the garden area and some abstract pieces all over the property. The indoor area has some black and white pictures on the wall and other art around the tasting room for your viewing pleasure. Art, wine and great service can only make you want to visit Hall more than once.



Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 52 Smart Wine Tour Tips

Blog 52 Smart Wine Tour Tips
You have decided to spend a day touring wine country but someone has informed you that it might not be as easy as you think. How do you make your day great? What can you do to create a memorable experience?

I suggest planning out your day prior to going on the wine tour. There are many people that just get in their car and go from one winery to the next. The only problem is that you need to get back and you may miss your favorites or ones that you have not been to before that are off the beaten path.

Each year when I head out to wine country, I plan out my entire itinerary. I call in advance to get any tours or tastings in to make sure that there is availability. It took me five years to get into Far Niente Winery. I finally had to beg them and I set up a tour for eight people well in advance. It was worth the trip. Some wineries you can get into with no problem and other wineries request that you ask in advance for your tasting. Caymus Winery will only take a few people at a time for their tasting and they do it at certain times; again, well worth the wait. Opus also works this way; however, you can go in their tasting room and pay for a tasting separately without a tour. Caymus and Far Niente are both gated and will not even let you on their grounds without an appointment.

Don’t drink and drive. Have a designated driver if you are going to be drinking wine. Don’t speed in wine country. If you can, try to start your day early in the morning when it is best to have a tasting. Plan your tours with food in between the wineries that you will taste at. Drink water and water crackers in between each winery if you are actually drinking any of the wines.

Spit the wines that you do not like. You don’t have to empty your glass with each wine. Only drink the ones that you want to enjoy. There are plenty of wines to taste. Pace yourself when you taste and only try the ones that you really want to try.

Take time to eat a nice lunch by either packing a picnic lunch or sitting at a great restaurant that the area has to offer. For instance, in Napa Valley, I always eat at Rutherford Grill or Don Giovanni’s with some of my best memories made there. Food is an important part of my day and I want to make sure that I eat and taste in comfort.
More on how to pick your favorites…coming soon.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!

Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 51 Visit to the Napa Valley

Blog 51 Visit to the Napa Valley
100 Wine Blogs is going to the Napa Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). When people think of Napa Valley, they may not realize that there are 15 sub AVA’s in Napa County. Napa is actually a city in the Napa Valley area. Napa Valley consists of the 15 sub AVA’s listed below. Calistoga being the most recent sub AVA added in December of 2009, which took them 6 years to become an AVA. There are over 300 wineries just in these areas alone.
American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) of Napa Valley
• Atlas Peak AVA
• Calistoga AVA
• Chiles Valley AVA
• Diamond Mountain District AVA
• Howell Mountain AVA
• Los Carneros AVA
• Mt. Veeder AVA
• Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA
• Oakville AVA
• Rutherford AVA
• Spring Mountain District AVA
• St. Helena AVA
• Stags Leap District AVA
• Wild Horse Valley AVA
• Yountville AVA
100 Wine Blogs will be visiting the Napa Valley area during the Mustard Festival season. Some of the events taking place while we are there is “The Marketplace” consisting of many wineries from the local area getting together along with sponsors to celebrate some of the gourmet food, treats and wine that Napa Valley has to offer. This takes place along the Riverfront in Downtown Napa on March 13 – 14, 2010.

On March 20, 2010, we will visit “A Taste of Yountville” which will include gourmet restaurant fare, olive oils, vinegars, mustards, fine wines, and micro-brews all from the Yountville area.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica