08 Best Picks
Resolved to broaden your tastes and knowledge this year? Break tradition by not following the masses. There’s only one way to really learn more about wine: be adventurous. Find your own zone and do everything in your power to stray from the same old thing. Explore a couple of offbeat wineries or hot boutiques. Pick something on a wine list you’ve never heard of, one you can’t pronounce. Become a world citizen with Argentinean Malbecs and Spanish Riojas. If you don’t challenge yourself, you’ll follow the masses into mainstream sipping and miss the best part of wine: discovering it for yourself. Here are some tips to kick-start your new year.
1. For an out-of-the-ordinary tasting excursion, make an appointment to taste at Jarvis, Darioush or Prager wineries. The appeal of Jarvis is its class-act setting. The entire Napa winery is underground, 46,000 square feet of roaming caves with a waterfall streaming through it. For wine geeks, there’s the additional perk that the winemaker is Dimitri Tchelistcheff, son of legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff, who revolutionized Napa Valley Cabernet. Darioush is another rare find, a Persian architectural feat. The Napa winery, which focuses on Bordeaux varietals, has classic Persian elements blended with modern European touches. Finally, Prager Winery and Port Works, in St. Helena, is unusual because it’s in a no-frills barn, offering insight into a determined new breed of entrepreneur hell-bent on making killer wines on a limited budget. At this boutique winery, the riches are in the glass: stellar Syrah and Ports.
2. Hand-crafted wines are at their best in boutiques – small wineries that produce 5,000 cases a year or less. Here’s a short list of my favorite labels whose producers are true artisans: Patz & Hall, Benessere, Elizabeth Spencer, Huntington, Trentadue and Wilson Winery. Why not keep a running list in 2008?
3. When exploring wine lists with an eye to imports, keep this in mind: California Pinot Noirs have characteristics similar to Côte du Rhônes from France and Spanish reds based on Tempranillo; California Chardonnay aligns with white Châteauneuf du Pape from France and Verdelho from Spain; California Sauvignon Blancs echo Albarinos from Spain and Gruner Veltliners from Austria.
4. If exploring wine seems too pricey an exercise, here’s one final tip, take a look at www.wineaccess.com. The website has a feature called “Wine Finder” that allows a comparative search of varietals, price range, appellation, vintage and styles among area retailers by simply entering the region of your choice.
Fancy Flights
St. Francis Winery and Vineyards, a few miles west of Kenwood, has a beautiful mission-style visitors center complete with sweeping vineyard and mountain views. The tasting menu is versatile enough to satisfy any palate. “Classic” tastings are a bargain at only $10 and includes four wines, some of which are available only at the winery. For $25, pair your wines with cheese and charcuterie. On weekends, small plates are offered, with seated service and wine pairings. St. Francis wine club gives you an automatic 20% discount on reserves wines with six to eight shipments per year. Plus, one program is devoted exclusively to Zinfandel!  For details, call 1-888-675-9463 or go to www.stfranciswinery.com.
Terroir Tasting
In ancient times, Mount St. Helena threw off a landslide that created an acre of rich microclimates and soil diversity in the Alexander Valley. In more recent times, Simi Winery spotted an opportunity there and planted Landslide Vineyard, growing complex grapes that produce beautiful wines. My favorite? Landslide Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, of course. Visit Simi’s beautifully remodeled tasting room in Healdsburg, and discover it yourself; 1-800-746-4880; www.simiwinery.com.
Exclusive Experience
Lambert Bridge Winery is renowned for producing elegant Bordeaux-style blends. Instead of just tasting these great wines, on January 12th, you get to be “winemaker for a day.” If you’re in the Dry Creek appellation, plan a visit to Lambert Bridge and create your very own award-winning cuvée using Bordeaux wine barrel samples. Learn how to blend, bottle, cork and custom label wine. Afterwards, be the envy of your friends and take home a 750ml bottle of your very own custom-labeled Bordeaux-style Cellar Cuvée. For additional details, call (707) 431-9600 or visit www.lambertbridge.com.
On the Radar
• A great escape from those winter blues is the 16th Annual Winter Wineland. On January 19 and 20, adventurous wine lovers will have the opportunity to meet winemakers and sample a bounty of foods and wines at more than 100 wineries. Sample library wines and new releases, do some winery and cave tours, plus enjoy great off-season discounts (additional offers will be available Monday, January 21, also)! Weekend tickets are $40 per person, $30 for Sunday only. Add $10 per person at the door. To plan your adventure, call 1-800-723-6336 or visit www.wineroad.com.
• Zinfandel lovers should order tickets now for the 17th Annual Zinfandel Festival. Held in San Francisco. Commencing January 23 through the 26, ZAP Festival features flights, great eats and pairings, and a intimate evening with winemakers. If you are a Zinfandel lover, this event is for you. To attend, call (415) 345-7575 or visit www.zinfandel.org.
• This year marks the fifteenth season of the Napa Valley Mustard Festival. During the months of February and March, experience a “Sensational Season of Wine Country Events” beginning with Mustard Magic ~ The Grand Opening Event, on Saturday, February 2. The red carpet rolls out for adventurous food and wine enthusiasts who revel in enchanting surroundings while sampling five-star refreshments and world-class wines. Live music, visual arts, tableau scenes plus silent and live auctions all contribute to make one unforgettable evening. For tickets or more information, call (707) 938-1133 or visit the website at www.mustardfestival.org.