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Among the Vines
It might be a beautiful place in literature, in pictures or on your computer desktop, but the fact of it is that the Napa Valley is best experienced in your glass…

Second only to Disneyland as California’s top tourist destination, the Napa Valley is one of the best-known and most-visited wine regions in the world. It’s safe to say that anyone who purports to love wine has tasted a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, and the traditionally buttery Napa Chardonnays have opened many a red-wine lover to the lighter side of the table. The Napa Valley itself has appeared on numerous wine labels, in paintings, photos, movies — and even on millions of computer desktops. (The default wallpaper for the Windows XP operating system is a bitmap photo of a Napa landscape.)

 

Anyone who’s spent any time in the area has heard at least one local go on about how nice it used to be before the huge wineries showed up and turned the valley into a Vegas-like pantheon of crowded oddities. It’s not tough to see why they complain: There’s a wine train running through the middle of town; tasting rooms shaped like Persian castles; official Napa postcards, plates, magnets and… Well, you get the idea.

 

In the hail of gift shops, string quartets, hard-to-get restaurant reservations and modern luxury accommodations, it’s easy to forget that wine is fundamentally an agricultural pursuit, the product of a beautiful relationship between the land and the winemaker, equal parts hard work, science, art and magic. And whether the winery features a hedge maze and sculpture garden or just a small hand-painted sign and a picnic table, it all comes down to what’s in the bottle.

 

Longtime valley wineries like Beringer, which produces millions of cases each year, may be better known than smaller wineries, but size is not necessarily an indication of quality or potential. Charles Krug Winery — now part of the Mondavi wine empire — started on only 20 acres, received as dowry when Charles Krug married the daughter of a wealthy landowner.

 

Likewise, any of the small “boutique” wine labels of today could one day be on the lips of restaurant patrons from LA to Tokyo. Of course, some of the wineries don’t want to be that big; they’re happy to serve clients of their respective wine clubs and whoever happens to stroll in to the tasting room. The following wineries are mostly on the smaller side. They’re all special in their own right, and they’re all favorites of Kingdom. We’re sure you’ll find something in here to suit your taste, whether you’re looking for a wine to complement a meal or just to sip in the evening. If you can find them at your local wine store, pick up a bottle. And if you can get to Napa, don’t hesitate to drop in. After all: you’ve already seen Disneyland, right?

 

 

Peju Province Winery
www.peju.com
(800) 446-7358

 

The shores of the Caspian Sea are a long way from Napa, but Tony Peju isn’t exactly what you’d call an unmotivated individual. Over the course of his life, Tony traveled from his birthplace on the Caspian to France, England and then eventually to Los Angeles, where he met his wife Herta. For years the two worked hard running a series of businesses, including a string of florist shops, before purchasing 30 acres in Napa in 1983. It was a great buy. The land included a turn-of-the-century house and was already planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and French Colombard vines dating back as much as 60 years. Today Tony and Herta, along with their daughters Lisa and Ariana, run Peju Province Winery and its astounding tasting room. A 10’ x 20’ stained glass window forms a wall in the “Peju Tower,” which also features a room with an unbelievable floor made from a single piece of Brazilian granite. A classroom and kitchen are there to expand the wine experience, while an artistic air about the place keeps things lively. In fact, between the sculptures, woodwork, paintings and live music, everyone at Peju seems to enjoy the arts. (Ask the tasting room’s marvelous and knowledgeable Scott Neumann about opera.)
Of course, all of this is just decoration without good wine. Fortunately, Peju has that as well. Winemaker Sara Fowler (also an artist) takes care of the good stuff, creating Peju’s lovely bottled selections for wine club patrons and (in limited amount) for fine restaurants and stores. She and Peju are committed to sustainable farming practices, are well on the way to full “organic” certification and even utilize solar power in the winery. If nothing else, it’s worth dropping by just to meet the sincerely welcoming people who work there. Beautiful property, beautiful people, beautiful wines.

 

Try: Peju’s Fifty Fifty, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, is beloved for good reason, and the Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is undeniable. But this editor has a soft spot for Syrah, and Peju’s is delicious. Sensuously colored and as big and deep as a Syrah should be, a full mouth of berries and cocoa pour over black pepper, coffee and minerals. Catch the hint of cream and you’ll find yourself smiling until the bottle’s empty.

Adventurous Glass: Peju makes a Port, and it’s good — if perhaps a little unconventional (and we mean that in a good way).

 

 

Pine Ridge Winery
www.pineridgewinery.com
(800) 486-0503, (707) 253-1493

 

People working the vines at Pine Ridge don’t have it easy. The vineyard prides itself on holding tightly to three core principles: Pride of ownership, stewardship of the land, and a relentless dedication to quality.” For workers, that means meticulously pruning vines by hand, hand-clearing rows, night harvesting of grapes by hand, hand-inspecting clusters then hand-inspecting individual berries for quality and stems… A lot of hand work, which all adds up to making Pine Ridge wines world-class. In fact, some of the only field work not done by hand is weed control, which is taken care of by goats, part of the winery’s commitment to sustainable farming.

 

Winemaker Stacy Clark has a lot of ingredients to choose from, with Pine Ridge’s nearly 220 acres of vineyards spread throughout various regions of the Napa Valley. The result is a great selection of Bordeaux-style reds and classic Chardonnays, many available for tasting in Pine Ridge’s straightforward and comfortable tasting room. If you make it by, take a tour and visit Pine Ridge’s “Cabernet Caves.” More than 4,600 wine-filled French oak barrels sit 130 feet below Pine Ridge’s vines. The constant temperature and humidity in the caves makes them the perfect place to age wine — and to showcase art. Famous glass artist Dale Chihuly has a piece there, “Yellow Persian Set with Ash Lip Wrap,” and it’s beautiful, if perhaps a little startling 130 feet underground. Call to schedule an elegant cave dinner for your group, complete with tasting of course.

 

Try: There’s a lot to choose from, but you can’t go wrong with the Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. Plenty of “Rutherford Dust” here, the wine has been produced since Pine Ridge was founded in 1978. There’s no question it’s a Napa Cabernet: Briar, berries, tobacco and coffee with a bit of vanilla as well. Drink it now or park it in your cellar for a decade; you’ll love it any time.

 

Adventurous Glass: Encantado rosé. Meaning “charmed” or “enchanted” in Spanish, Encantado lights up your mouth with citrus, tropical fruits and raspberry. Try it with a nice prosciutto. Makes you smack your lips.

 

 

 

Luna Vineyards
www.lunavineyards.com
(707) 255-2474

 

On the southern end of Napa’s “other” wine road, the historic Silverado Trail, Luna Vineyards began when founders George Vare and Mike Moone decided to create a modern Napa winery that would produce wines in the artisan fashion of the Old World Masters. Legend has it the two went into the venture smiling, knowing that any foray into wine is a bit crazy (hence the “luna,” as in “lunatic”). Home to a number of distinctive wines, including the Arnold Palmer Wines, Luna originally made its mark with its Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese. More recently the vineyard has been celebrated for its exotic white wine blend, called Freakout, while its Howell Mountain Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignons have received critical acclaim. The praise is due in large part to charismatic winemaker Mike Drash, who brings passion and technical expertise to Luna’s excellent grapes. Drop by the vineyard and sample his art; you won’t regret it.

 

Try: Arnold Palmer Cabernet Sauvignon. Red fruits with a dash of currant and pomegranate sit over layers of minerals and milk chocolate. Napa’s Rutherford Dust comes through this wonderfully integrated wine, with white pepper and truffle brushing across the finish of this great Cab Sauvignon. Note: If you can find it, try the Reserve. Hard to locate, but definitely worth the search.

 

Adventurous Glass: Luna FREAKOUT. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and — are you serious? — Tocai Fruilano. The taste: Amazing. Our reaction? The name says it all.

 

 

Kenwood Vineyards
www.kenwoodvineyards.com
(707) 833-5891

 

When your Napa vacation is over and it’s time to go home, consider heading west out of town. This will give you a perfect excuse to stop by the Sonoma Valley and Kenwood for a quick, last-minute wine tasting. Almost everyone recognizes the Kenwood name. Connoisseurs know the vineyard’s impeccable Artist Series of wines. Originally conceived as a way to combine fine art and fine wine, Kenwood’s goal was long ago met with this exquisite series
of Cabernet Sauvignons, which has had 23 vintages thus far. If the art that graces each bottle is carefully selected, the grapes used to create the Artist Series wine are more so. The finest small lots of Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are used in this beautiful blend (Cab Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc) that offers fruit and oak in a complex, lush wine. Drink it, then display the bottle on a shelf. Beauty all around.

 

Try: Most wine experts would shudder at the thought of judging a fine wine by it's a label, but Kenwood Vineyards’ Artist Series is maybe the exception that proves the rule. This wine combines the highest quality Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with some of the finest works of art from all over the world. Every year the label is redesigned to showcase a different artistic style, with artwork from Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh having appeared since the Artist Series’ 1975 inception. The initial style of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with lots of oak aroma and flavor has evolved to a lighter, ‘Bordeaux-style’ of blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc) with subtle oak complexity, but still with an outstanding finish.

 

Adventurous Glass: Kenwood Jack London Series. Created from grapes grown on Jack London’s former ranch, the Jack London Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Merlot all feature mint-accented berry flavors and smooth finishes. Look for the wolf’s head on the bottle, and prepare for an evening worthy of a literary classic.