2007-11-30
Tasting Room of the Week:
PEJU PROVINCE
by Michelle J. Baker
Highway 29 in Napa Valley is bursting at the seams with great wineries to visit. Up and down the road, there is winery after winery with interesting architecture; lush, beautifully manicured lawns; dazzling gardens full of seasonal color; bubbling fountains; and the unending flow of the crown jewel of Napa Valley wines, Cabernet Sauvignon. But along Highway 29 there’s only one winery where you’ll find all that as well as the most entertaining of tasting room staff: Peju Province.
They call it “vintertainment,” and at Peju, it’s conducted almost daily by Alan Arnopole, aka the Yodel Meister. As he pours yet another taste of Peju’s prized liquid assets, Alan’s shtick might include any number of his alter egos, including the Vampire, the Terminator, the Yodeler, or the Rapper (complete with disc jockey scratch). Or, he may pull out his guitar for a campy rendition of a popular Beatles tune that just happens to rhyme with the winery’s name.
While it’s evident that Peju doesn’t take itself too seriously, they do make some seriously great wine. The flagship is the estate H.B. Reserve from H.B. Vineyard (the new 2004 vintage is scheduled for release in early February), with two other Cabernet Sauvignons in the lineup, the 2004 Napa Valley and the 2004 Rutherford Reserve. Currently the tasting room also features a deliciously spicy, berry-laden 2005 Zinfandel from the winery’s Persephone Vineyard in the Pope Valley, just east of Napa Valley. And, Peju produces a unique and tasty California table wine, Provence, a proprietary blend of red and white wine that is reminiscent of an off-dry Rosé and perfect for holiday meals.
The main tasting room is in the winery’s famous Peju Tower, a 50-foot high structure that is the centerpiece of the winery. The hand-carved scene from Greek mythology on the doors to the Tower is the work of San Rafael artist Phillip Dizick, who also created all the bronze sculptures on the estate and serves as curator for the rotating art exhibit upstairs in the Tower. You can’t miss the back wall of the tasting room, a magnificent century-old stained glass work portraying the three Greek Graces.
There are other rooms to see at Peju, including the original tasting room which is now a shopper’s paradise full of knick knacks, Wine Country souvenirs and wine paraphernalia, as well as samples of Peju’s private label mustards and chocolate sauces. The newest part of the tasting room, an addition built onto the back of the Tower and just opened in July, features stunning Brazilian granite floors and counter tops.
Visit Peju Province at 8466 St. Helena Highway in Rutherford daily from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. If the Yodel Meister’s not around when you visit, don’t worry. His bar mates are well prepared to show visitors a great time. Join them December 7, when Peju will switch on the holiday lights on the Tower and more than 40 sycamore trees lining the winery’s driveway. Visit www.peju.com for more information about the winery’s upcoming events.
Related Information
|
