Cachet. When I visit this winery, I feel like I’ve come home. The drive onto the property is lined with rose bushes. The parking lot draws you towards a multitude of excellent choices…walk straight to one of three tasting rooms, head for a shady picnic table near one of several ponds, tour the one-of-kind museum of California Mission models or visit the exotic birds on display in the aviaries. All of these choices and yet the atmosphere feels like you have walked into someone’s private farm…albeit a very lovely one that makes fabulous wine.

Wine. Cline wines come in five groupings: Oakley (from the San Joaquin Delta area), California (blends from various vineyards), Sonoma County, Ancient Vines, and Single Vineyards. With all these choices, there is something for everyone! The Oakley group is often a best buy from Wine Enthusiast. The California series has interesting wines like Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah (blend) and Cline’s well-known California Zinfandel. Ancient vines are popular in California, people love to talk about them. Cline has four wines in this group: Mourvedre Rose, Carignane, Mourvedre and Zinfandel. The single vineyard wines are my favorite with the Small Berry Mourvedre leading the pack.

People. Everyone that I have encountered at this winery has a happy and relaxed demeanor…tasting room staff, winemakers, management and visitors. I use the tasting room reserved for club members…the cutest little room with two to three enthusiastic, smiling people behind the counter. I think the intimacy of this room lends a tremendous amount to the convivial atmosphere. But of course, it comes down to the people. They are genuinely enthusiastic and seem to love their jobs. Once at a large event, my husband and I were chatting with winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos and he got so excited by all of our questions, he spontaneously led us on a private barrel tasting.

Getting there. If you have one day to visit and you choose Sonoma County, I recommend you start or end your day at Cline. Marin County (where I live) is beautiful so if you are coming from San Francisco or points north, take advantage and drive through Marin. From Hwy 101, (the unfortunate asphalt divider of Marin) take Hwy 37 (a stunning Marsh area) to Hwy 121. Follow the signs to Sonoma and you’ll soon find yourself in rolling pastures surrounded by cows, goats and hawks. This is the Carneros AVA. Cline is one of the first wineries (on the left).

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Loxton Cellars, Glen Ellen

I first met Chris Loxton at a Rosé & paella party at my friend Margie’s home.  With his lovely accent, boyish good looks and sincere appreciation of fine wine, his neighbors in Sonoma are eager to show him off as one of their own.  He shared a bottle of his own extremely limited production of Rosé of Syrah, a dry, beautiful, fruit-driven yet balanced wine.

Chris’ winemaking is personal,  thoughtful & enthusiastic.  He loves talking “shop” but it’s never boring.  If he wasn’t so busy planting, pruning, harvesting, barreling, bottling & entertaining guests in his tasting/barrel room, I’d take up half his day chatting with him.

He makes small lots of Syrah & Zinfandel & blends.  Chris told me that he believes the hardest grape to work with is Zinfandel (not Pinot Noir which many people attest to).  He says that Zin doesn’t want to be good wine, so he works hard at it.

I highly recommend you check out Chris’ wines.  Use your VIP Pass for a Walk About with the Winemaker & Tasting for Four People (worth $40).

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Cute video from one of my favorite wineries.  They also have a VIP Pass in my guide.

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I’ve loved this winery for many, many years & it just keeps getting better.  Watch a short video with my friend Jennifer & the chickens. There is a VIP Pass to Quivira in my guide book for a private tour & barrel room tasting for four worth $60.

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The Kunde winery in Kenwood has a big story: 100 years old, 5 generations, BottleShock (the movie) was filmed there and the list goes on. I love everything about this winery. There is a VIP Pass in my guide for a seated wine & cheese tasting for two (mid-week) worth $40. Watch the video.

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There’s a great video on their home page. Get off the beaten Napa path & visit, you’ll be amazed that they make about 12 wines each year and only a total of 1500 cases! There is a VIP Pass in my book for a behind the scenes tasting, tour & barrel tasting for 4 worth $40.

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“Taming these savage hillsides is folly and all we can do is hope to coax a little civilization out of them. This is man working with nature at its glorious best.”    Mike Brunson, Winemaker & Vineyardist. Michel-Schlumberger Winery

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Sciandri Family WInery

Most people who visit Napa never pass through it, or even know it exists. Yet, for anyone who has cherished the renowned quality of Napa Valley wines or has fallen in love with the epicurean delights of Wine Country living, Coombsville is an absolute must-see destination. (Coombsville Vintners & Growers)

The Coombsville appellation, tucked away behind Napa (city), is one of my favorite insider places to visit. It feels like it’s a world away from urban Napa but it’s super close. It’s old world Napa, the wineries are surrounded by rolling hills, trees and horse pastures. While the atmosphere is much more intimate than Yountville and St Helena (up-valley), the wines are of equal quality and often a better value.

Don’t forget you can stay overnight in Napa on a whim.  Here are some of my favorite unique and intimate wine tasting experiences:

Sciandri Family Vineyards. (Pronounced She-an-dree) Located behind the city of Napa (northeast edge of the valley), you wind through Wild Horse Valley and park in front of the Sciandri’s house and tasting room. The vibe at Sciandri is relaxed and welcoming; their daughter tells a fascinating story of how the family starting making wine just a few years ago, how her hard working parents came to rebuild an old house and pursue a dream that would ensure that their family stayed close.  Call for an appointment to sip their Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon with a nice plate of Italian Salumi while pretending you live there for an afternoon at least. (Every appointment is a private tour and tasting, and groups from 2 -12 people are welcome.)

Black Cat Vineyard.  This must be the smallest winery in Napa. One woman does it all, and I mean everything.  When you visit Black Cat Winery, leave the cell phone, camera and video recorder in the car. Be in the moment and soak up Tracey Reichow’s massively intelligent and fascinating wine knowledge.  The view is outstanding, but her explanation about the Coombsville region being “wine mecca” makes it unforgettable. I love her Syrah & Cabernert Sauvignon; gently & lovingly crafted, a beautiful alternative to in-your-face big, bold “Napa” reds.

Marita’s Vineyard.  This winery’s for serious wine collectors, aficionados and groups who want to enjoy an intimate food and wine experience. Here’s my post about this amazing family and their seriously stunning wine.

Tournesol. This beautiful property is all about gracious hospitality and fine wine.  They make two wines, a red blend and a Napa-style Cabernet Sauvignon. Insider tip: Ask about their spectacular guest accommodations.

To plan your tasting day or weekend, go to the official site for a list of wineries.

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Visiting the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (St. Helena) makes me happy.  I love the old stone building and knowing that there are aspiring chefs on the 3rd floor while I dine in the restaurant.  I like the service, the decor, the reasonable wine mark ups and the artsy, interesting food.

When it was announced that the 17th annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival’s kick off party was going to be held at CIA, I immediately bought tickets.  I’ll be posting lots of pictures this week. Bobby and I had a fantastic time, but my absolute favorite part?  Eating in the chef’s kitchen.

Napa’s famous restaurants (Bouchon, Brix, etc) served small bites in the wine tasting room, but we headed straight for the kitchen.  Guests picked up a plate and went through a double-sided buffet flanked by chefs standing next to their stoves offering osso buco, polenta, mustard greens, Italian wedding soup, breaded shrimp with fruit dipping sauce, blood red orange salad, cioppino and more.  We sat family style at a long table in the middle of the kitchen.  For me, it was a once in a lifetime experience.  There are plenty of parties where I can walk around balancing a plate of small bites while drinking wine, but the opportunity to eat in the CIA kitchen…priceless!

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I have always been in awe of winemakers.  Amateurs making their own blends is an industry trend, e.g., Crushpad in San Francisco is very successful. Until now, I’ve happily sat on the sidelines (drinking fab wine).

I finally poked my beaker into the bottle so-to-speak at a corporate event where I was VIP Hostess.  The client had already chosen the wineries so I used my insider persuasion to organize the various events, get discounts and keep everyone on schedule.  We started at Ravenswood with Peter Griffith’s Blending Seminar. The guests learned the basics about acidity, sugar and tannins.  I helped translate that into “taste the three wines in front of you, decide what you think about them, then start mixing and tasting until you come up with your favorite”.

The group had a blast. They used every last minute to pour, play and taste.  When the time was up, Peter quickly bottled, corked and even hot waxed each guest’s personal blend to take home.

**(That’s me in the hat.)

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