Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

J Vineyards & Winery

11447 Old Redwood Hwy, Healdsburg, CA 95448

I wouldn’t have known about this winery if I hadn’t stopped at Rodney Strong. J Vineyards is located to the left of Rodney Strong and is accessible via a walkway from the Rodney Strong parking lot. It is an interesting winery owned by Judy Jordan, the daughter of the owners of Jordan Winery in Sonoma. J Vineyards began producing sparkling wine in 1986 and that appears to remain their main focus today. The winery also produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Viognier still wines.

This winery was founded by Judy Jordan in 1986. Judy is the daughter of Tom and Sally Jordan who started Jordan Winery & Vineyards also in Sonoma. The winery was sold to the Gallo Family in March 2015 and Judy then purchased Chehalem Mountain Vineyard in Oregon.

Pond outside of J Vineyards

The outside of the winery is simple and charming. There is a bridge over a small pond that leads to the front doors of the tasting room. On the left side of the bridge there is a small fountain and terrace. A woman was stationed outside the front of the winery to greet us and inform us about the different tasting options that are available. The basic tasting occurs at the J Signature Bar. They also offer seated food and bubbly tastings inside the Bubble Room or outside terrace. The Bubble Room tasting seemed to be the most popular. It is offered Friday through Sunday at four different times during the day and reservations are recommended. An executive chef creates dishes that pair with six wines. I was really interested in doing this tasting but unfortunately there were no spots open when I visited. I opted for the J Signature Bar tasting instead.

Tasting bar at J Vineyards

The tasting room is very contemporary. There is a dark stone wall from ceiling to floor behind the tasting bar that is lit from behind and designed to look like bubbles rising up from the bottom. Before walking up to the tasting bar, we stopped at a mini tasting table off to left of the entrance to sample a couple of wines and then finished the tasting at the bar. The tasting menu included a couple of sparkling wines and 3-4 still wines for $20. This tasting fee is a little pricey compared to many of the other wineries in Sonoma. My personal favorites were the J Pinot Gris, Russian River Pinot Noir and the J Viognier Hoot Owl Vineyard.

I’m glad that I stopped in because I like discovering new places. Overall the wines were enjoyable and the staff was friendly. I wish I had the opportunity to try more of the sparkling wine though. If I ever return, I would make a reservation for The Bubble Room.

Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

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Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

2555 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574

Website: https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-california/

Someone who is not familiar with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone might ask “why would I want to visit a culinary school?” The CIA is not just a cooking school, it is one of the most historic properties in Napa Valley. The castle-like stone building was formerly Christian Brothers Winery and was considered to be the largest stone winery building in the world when it was completed in 1889. The CIA opened its doors in August 1995 and today includes a 15,000 square foot teaching kitchen, Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, Spice Island Marketplace, and Vintners Hall of Fame. For foodies or wine enthusiasts alike, the CIA offers culinary and wine programs. For visitors just stopping in, check the CIA’s website for a calendar of cooking demonstrations or wine events. After touring the property, visitors can have lunch or dinner at the Wine Spectator Restaurant and observe students and chefs in open cooking stations while eating a delicious meal. I recommend making a reservation in advance, especially on a weekend.

Let’s take a step back in time to the 19^th century when Greystone was constructed. The original idea to build a 1 million gallon winery and cellar can be attributed to William Bowers Bourne, Jr., a very wealthy businessman throughout California. Bourne, with the help from his partner Everett Wise, recognized the potential of the Napa wine industry and forged a cooperative with other Napa County vintners. Once the stone building was constructed it was named Greystone Cellars and was the first California winery to be operated by electricity. It was also the largest winery in California. By 1894, the winery changed hands to Charles Carpy who was a key player in the Napa wine industry during his time and turned the winery into an icon for the California Wine Association (CWA). The ownership changed hands again between the mid-1920s and 1940s before the famed Brother Timothy of Christian Brothers stepped in. Brother Timothy, who was a member of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and a former science teacher, became a wine chemist in 1935 and built Christian Brothers into a leading California brand. Christian Brothers purchased Greystone Cellars in 1950 and began producing sparkling wine under the Christian Brothers label. Christian Brothers continued operations until 1989 when Brother Timothy was 79 years old and sold to Hublein Company of Canada in 1991. A year later Hublein sold the winery to the Culinary Institute and it opened its doors as a culinary school in 1995. Greystone has been listed on the National Register of Historic places since 1978. (Information provided by NapaValleyRegister.com: Greystone Cellars – The History of a Napa County Icon).

One of the large oak barrels with plaques in the Vintners Hall of Fame

Although Greystone is now a culinary school, it still remains a historic symbol of the Napa wine industry. Today the CIA at Greystone honors the men and women who have shaped the California wine industry with the Vintners Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is open to the public daily and is located on the second story of the building in the former Christian Brothers’ barrel room. Inside the Hall of Fame, guests will find an educational exhibit on the history of California wine displayed through rare bottles. Along the length of each side of the room are 2,200 gallon redwood wine barrels with bronze plaques of all of the men and women who have been nominated into the Hall of Fame. Since I am so enthralled by the history of Napa Valley, I was awed by all of the faces and biographies on the plaques.

There is a lot more to do at the CIA besides take in the history. For any food or wine aficionado, I recommend taking a break from wine tasting to take a tour of the facility. The Spice Island Marketplace is a nice place to find neat culinary souvenirs for friends or family. Even though I did not have the time to attend one of the wine or food demonstrations, I enjoyed being able to view one of the classrooms and get a sense for what it’s like to be a culinary student. The CIA also hosts large group events in their facilities. The real reason I stopped in the first time was to try the excellent restaurant that got rave reviews from a friend. My meal was delightful and I got to experience a celebrated piece of Napa history at the same time.

A view of Napa from the Culinary Institute at Greystone

Rochioli Vineyards and Winery

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Rochioli Vineyards & Winery

6192 Westside Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: http://www.rochioliwinery.com/

Rochioli Vineyards is located off of Westside Road in the Russian River Valley in the same area as Gary Farrell, Williams Selyem, Hop Kiln (now owned by Landmark), and Arista. There are so many good wineries in this area that it is easy to spend a day traveling down Westside Road hopping from one tasting room to the next. This winery has quite a history behind it and is well-known for their wines.

Joe Rochioli, Sr. purchased the property in 1938. It consisted of 162 acres of land that he had farmed for many years. Joe Sr. was an immigrant from Italy with not a lot of money. In the early years, the property was used to grow hops, fruit, grapes, prunes, and vegetables. Joe Jr. grew up helping his father farm the land and as he grew older he recognized that the soil and landscape was perfect for making wine. Like Rodney Strong and Joseph Swan, Joe Rochioli was a pioneer in Sonoma. He introduced new farming techniques that enhanced the quality of the grapes. He started by planting Sauvignon Blanc in 1959 and selling the grapes to other wineries. In 1968 after his father passed away, he planted Pinot Noir which was one of earliest plantings in the Russian River Valley. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he sold grapes to other big name wineries like E&J Gallo, Korbel, and Williams Selyem. He didn’t start his own wine production until 1985 when his son Tom decided that he no longer wanted to work in the corporate world and turned to winemaking. Tom became the winemaker and still runs the winery today (referencehttp://www.princeofpinot.com/article/1124/).

Walkway to Rochioli’s Tasting Room

After pulling into the parking lot from Westside Road, my husband and I walked beneath a wooden trellis covered in greenery and followed the cement pathway lined by hedges and trees to the tasting room. There is a picnic area along the pathway. Directly outside the winery is a patio that overlooks a rose garden and vineyards. It’s a very pretty, quiet setting. The winery and tasting room are inside of a wood paneled building. The tasting room has an open concept with a few gift items around the room. Off to the right is a square shaped tasting bar that can accommodate 5-6 people comfortably. There are windows looking out on the vineyard. I thought it was cool that they handed out a free map of the property to show all of the lots where the grapes are grown. Although Rochioli now produces its own wines, they still sell grapes to other vineyards and have a waiting list of wineries who would like to purchase their acclaimed grapes.

This winery has won lots of awards for their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noirs. They also produce Chardonnay. Unfortunately they weren’t pouring any Pinot Noir when I visited. They said that they were sold out. I was disappointed because that’s the reason why I stopped in. It had a negative impact on my mood for the rest of the tasting. I was able to sample the estate Sauvignon Blanc, a couple of Chardonnays, and a Rosé made from Pinot Noir. However, none of them really thrilled me. I would like to stop in again one day when I’m in the area to try to get a taste of the Pinot Noir because I’ve heard and read a lot about them.

The patio at Rochioli Vineyards

Wine Tourist

My journeys in wine country.

Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

J Vineyards & Winery

Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

Rochioli Vineyards and Winery