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Benessere Vineyards & Winery The Un-Cabernet

Dec 032010

Do you remember the old 7-UP ads from 1975 for the UnCola? If Napa wineries are best regarded for their cabernets, then Benessere is the Un-Cabernet; specializing in Italian varietals.

I have to say that when these winery samples arrived at my office I wasn’t jumping around with excitement. My past experience with Italian wines has been uneventful, at best. I know many of you love them but until I tasted these wines from Benessere I was not on the bandwagon. While I may not bang a drum for Italian wines as a whole, I will bang a gong for these beauties. Continue reading »

Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery – The Real Deal

10 Responses »

Oct 312010

Charlie & Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone

A while back Donna and I received an invitation to meet, eat and drink with historic Napa Valley winemaker Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone. The dinner was held during a starlit evening on the rooftop patio of their Denver distributor. The crowd was not too big and many of us were not very familiar with this fairly small producer. Stu Smith cut quite a figure as he spoke easily and generously with the guests. Husky and bearded, Stu reminded me of Jeremiah Johnson after a trip to the barber shop. His style is soft but firm, a real straight shooter. Some weeks later I was talking to a restaurateur who referred to Stu as “the real deal.” I could not agree more. Continue reading »

Fredericksburg Food and Wine Fest – A Day at the Fair

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Oct 242010

What’s better than “A day at the fair?” Today was the 20th anniversary of the Fredericksburg Wine and Food Fest in Fredericksburg, Texas. Fredericksburg is the epicenter of the exploding and now widely recognized Texas Hill Country Wine Trail, about 70 miles from either Austin or San Antonio. A long time tourist destination, Fredericksburg was in my youth, better known for growing some of the sweetest and juiciest peaches known to mankind. They send Georgia peaches home cryin’ every time.

Over the last ten years wineries have sprouted like bluebonnets all across the Hill Country. There are close to 40 of the 200 wineries in Texas along the roads of this picturesque area. Are all the wines good? No. But as a whole they improve each year and some Voiginers and Tempranillos, in my opinion, have made it to “Damn, that’s Tasty!” status. Continue reading »

Wines From Last Night…Mer Soleil Chardonnay

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Sep 302010

September 30, 2010

Mer Soleil Chardonnay – $35 Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay – $25 Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterrey, CA (samples provided by Mer Soliel)

I’m combining the review of these wines for one simple reason. The grapes are grown in the same vineyard with exactly the same treatment. The only difference is the wine making techniques. It isn’t often that you get to taste two wines side by side where the technique is the only difference. The wines are made by Charlie Wagner, grandson of his namesake Charles Wagner, founder of Caymus Vineyards. Continue reading »

Day 1 Napa and Sonoma Adventure

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Sep 092010

Wine Caves at Kenzo Estate

Day 1

Each day we will give a summary of the day before. More detailed stories about many of the places we visit with specific wine recommendations will be posted in the weeks to come.

The fall B&B Napa/Sonoma sojourn I must admit had a dubious start. We were up at 5AM to make an 8:30 flight to San Francisco. While standing in the security line Donna received an automated call from Southwest Airlines saying our flight was delayed an hour due to weather in San Francisco. If you’ve ever been to the San Francisco airport and rented a car, you know what an arduous experience that is, including a 50 minute wait in line because Hertz had no cars. Fortunately, we got all the rough stuff out of the way early and had a great rest of the day.

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