“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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I’ve been winery hopping again!  The first words out of my mouth right now, are you bottling yet?

Harvest ends in the fall, grapes do their magic in the winter and voilá! some whites are in the bottles as early as February.

So…if you visit wineries in the early Spring, you might get to taste newly bottled wine and you’ll get first dibs on purchasing small lot wine (meaning they don’t make much of it, so it will sell out quickly).

And when you ask the question, are you bottling yet, you’ll learn about wine and a winemaker’s style.

For instance, at Casa Nuestra*, they’ve just bottled a killer Chenin Blanc that has no hint of “bottle shock” which is quite a feat & wonderful to experience.  While, at Loxton*, you won’t be able to get a new vintage until probably April/May because Chris Loxton is making a rosé that takes longer in the barrel.  (Of course, wines that are aged in barrels for months can be bottled any time the winemaker deems it’s ready.)

It’s an exciting time of year to visit.  If you’d like a guide & tips, let me know!

*Links go to my posts about these wineries.

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Sciandri Family WInery

Many visitors drive through Napa, see the large corporate/investor owned wineries and think this is Napa. If you’ve already been to these wineries or it’s just not your cup of tea, it’s time to discover alternatives.

Here are three fabulous, unique and intimate experiences that I highly recommend.

Sciandri Family Vineyards. (Pronounced She-an-dree) Located behind the city of Napa (northeast edge of the valley), you wind through Wild Horse Valley to an area called Coombsville (soon to be its own AVA) 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.

Casa Nuestra.  This winery is on the Silverado Trail on the farthest northern edge. When you drive up, you’ll see an unpaved driveway and a little yellow house.  It’s tiny, yet behind the scenes, they are making approx. 15 different wines!  This is one of my top ten wineries; I always find something I like and the people at the winery are sincerely welcoming. (It doesn’t seem right to call them staff because they are such an integrated part of the experience.)  A VIP Pass for a private tour and tasting is included in my guide.

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As a wine country guide, I have the pleasure of meeting a wide variety of people.  Every group is different, but the common denominator is everyone hopes to have a great time.  People who are relaxed, open-minded and curious have the best experience. (The ones who put themselves in my hands for their itinerary are always happy.)

One memorable day was with two ladies in their 70’s. (A daughter of one of the gals’ bought them a surprise tour with me.) Old friends for decades, they had traveled the world together.  This was just a 3-day getaway not far from their homes. They were both shy about their “lack of knowledge” about wine (although one really likes drinking it).

With gentle help from my friends at the wineries, we introduced them to the joy of discovery.  I took them to four places (plus lunch)–a small but well-known boutique winery; a barrel tasting of futures (wine not ready for release); a casinoesque winery with gorgeous grounds, and Sbragia where Ed Sbragia is the winemaker.  (One of the gals likes Beringer wines, so I wanted to introduce them to Beringer’s famous ex-winemaker).

At the end of the day, their enthusiasm for trying new wine had grown by leaps and bounds.  It’s fun to think of them experimenting at home and getting a kick out of it.  As I always say, don’t worry about what you don’t know about wine, learn about the wine you’re drinking.

* I always bring my camera and email the pictures to my guests afterward as a thank you gift.  I took this picture at Ferrari-Carano.  I imagine they will reminisce about their trip every time they open a bottle of wine!

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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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Recently, I got a last minute call to help a wine country visitor with his marriage proposal.  I picked them up at the Farmhouse Inn (Russian River) and drove them to Michel Schlumberger’s.  Rob was looking for a grand view with a little privacy.  M-S was having their employee party that afternoon so everything was beautifully decorated for the holidays.  However, the tasting room was off-limits, so Rob & Christine got the VIP private tasting in the kitchen. The kitchen has a reputation among long-time M-S fans as the insider’s room.  While they were busy tasting Cabernet & older vintages brought out special for them, I did “recon” & quickly ruled out the adorable little bench up on the hill due to the wetness of the ground.

Off to Hawley, an intimate little spot up a winding back country road.  Rob nervously whispered, “is this the place”.  I replied, “let’s see”.  They were so impressed by the experience and the wine, they signed up for the club.  But the view wasn’t quite right for me so I sneaked outside and called my friends at Bella Winery & Caves. Ross & Leigh Ann eagerly agreed to take us to the top of Lilly Hill in a comfy oversized ATV.  After tasting some wine in the cave, I casually suggested a drive up the hill. Ross had planted a bottle of Lilly Hill Reserve and two glasses in the back of the ATV.  Once we got to the top, Ross said he couldn’t drive any further but perhaps they wanted to walk aways. Rob put his arm around Christine and they walked to the edge of the hill.  Next thing I know, Chris is laughing and crying and jumping up and down. I’ll never forget the way the sun came out while they were standing there.  It was shady on the way up the hill, and shady on the way down.  But for that moment, the sun was perfect.

While they bought wine at Bella (including a case of Lily Hill), I secretly called my friend Peggy at Sbragia, and told her we were coming.  She set up a congrats sign and a fabulous cheese tray to go with their tasting.

It was a precious, sweet & lovely experience to be a part of this couple’s special day.

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It seems like I have the best job in the world (I do); but sharing my experiences with my readers is something that I actually take pretty seriously.  For this reason, I generally prefer to visit wineries by myself (less distractions).

I usually make an appointment for a tour and a tasting, bring my camera, my red leather mini-notebook & my groovy leopard pen. I make sure I have plenty of time to hang out. Many times, I have never tasted the wines prior to visiting.  This makes it awkward if I don’t like the wines; but its only happened a handful of times.  Sometimes though, I discover wines & people that become my favorites.  Here’s a pic of my review of Michel-Schlumberger  posted in their tasting room.

(An Insider Pass to Michel-Schlumberger is in my guidebook.)

Come visit me & I’ll introduce you to them!

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I often get requests from readers to help them with their wine country itinerary. My readers also refer their friends to me.

The places I recommend consistently treat people like welcome guests, offer something more then a belly-up-the-bar wine tasting, make fabulous wine or food, and meet my criteria for a wonderful place to stay overnight (cozy, comfortable luxury).

In ensure that my friends & fans get the same “insider” treatment that I do, I asked my favorite businesses to be part of a very special project,  Alana’s Insider Picks & Tips, Get the Inside Scoop & Save $700.  Each business provided an Insider Pass in my new guidebook.  I added tons of tips to best enjoy a day trip or a vacation in wine country.

Now you can get my recommendations plus Passes to the VIP experiences that I enjoy as an insider.

I can hardly wait to share these fabulous places and adventures with you! Learn more by going to the Guide page.

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I met Dan Gustafson and his wine maker Emmett Reed at the Blogger’s Conference lunch held at Dry Creek Vineyards.  Their wine surprised and impressed me.  Dan & Emmett explained to me that their vineyards are located 1800′ above Lake Sonoma.  As far as I know, Gustafson is the only winery up there, so their wine is totally unique.  The Rockpile Appellation is further up and is highly regarded for Zinfandel, but Gustafson’s land is considered Dry Creek Valley Appellation. They make about 3,000 cases per year, all estate wine, which means they grow and bottle their own grapes.

Small wineries come in all shapes; this one is spectacular.  The location is gorgeous and well worth the short drive up a mountain road at the end of Dry Creek.  Currently, they are open to the public on Saturdays, but I got a Friday appointment (during the busy harvest) to bring 6 guests for a tasting and private tour. The winemaker, Emmett has the magic touch with grapes.  He is the vineyard manager (i.e., Rockstar) and the wine maker.  Dan Gustafson, the owner, is very welcoming and genuine.

If you want to discover one of my favorite secret places, give them a call, or contact me and I’ll arrange a tour for you.

There’s an Insider Pass to Gustason worth $100 in my guide.

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Starting in September, the grapes are finally ready to harvest.  They are picked according to how the wine maker wants the wine to taste and what is happening weather-wise.  If it is a long hot dry summer, the bigger wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon stay on the vine longer then the more delicate whites and light-bodied reds.  (If delicate grapes are left in the hot sun too long, they become raisins.)

This year, it was a mild summer (not too hot or cool), so in some appellations, whites and reds are ripening at the same time. When the grapes are perfect, they must be picked and crushed immediately.

This is a picture of winemaker, Chris Loxton.  His Petite Syrah was picked and ready to go into the crusher/destemmer when he got a call that the equipment had a broken part.  Like great wine makers before him, he improvised with a pitchfork.  He’s working hard, but excited and happy too.  Harvest is a love affair and celebration in wine country.

A pass for a Walkabout with the Winemaker & Private Tasting is available in my guide.

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