Category Archives: Napa Valley

Pine Ridge Vineyards

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Pine Ridge Vineyards

Pine Ridge Vineyards

5901 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558

Website: https://www.pineridgevineyards.com/

Pine Ridge Vineyards sits off the Silverado Trail in the Stags Leap District.  The name of the winery comes from its location because the estate is tucked beneath a ridge of pines.  The winery is celebrating 40 years, having got its start in 1978 when Gary and Nancy Andrus purchased the original 50 acres.  Today the winery is owned by Crimson Wine Group. The primary focus of the winery is Cabernet Sauvignon of course. The Stags Leap AVA led California to be recognized as a premium growing area when the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won first place at the 1976 Judgment of Paris.  The estate has tripled in size over the years and now consists of 160 acres that expands to Howell Mountain, Oakville, Rutherford, and Carneros. Although the flagship wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery produces a broad range of other varietals. The wines are categorized into two collections.  The Appellation collection is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon from each estate (Stags Leap, Howell Mountain, Oakville, and Rutherford) as well as a Napa Valley Cabernet that blends grapes from the different Napa Valley AVAs, and a Carneros Chardonnay. The winery exclusive wines consist of single varietals that include Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, plus a Bordeaux blend.  Their most acclaimed wine of all is the FORTIS Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pine Ridge's Demonstration Vineyard

Pine Ridge’s Demonstration Vineyard

Pine Ridge is situated in a pretty setting nestled within a bowl surrounded by hills of vines beneath the ridge of pines.  One of the cool things about visiting the winery, besides the nice views, is that they have a public, self- guided demonstration vineyard where guests can get up close to the vines.  If you prefer a guided tour to see more of the property, there are elevated tour and tasting options that include tastings in the caves with cheese or food pairings. These tours require prior reservations.  The tours seemed to be popular while we were there as we saw a couple different groups come through. My husband and I were happy enough with the daily estate tasting that includes 5 wines and no reservation required.

Pine Ridge Tasting Room

Pine Ridge Tasting Room

The tasting room is modern and cozy with warm earth tones and a window that looks out at the hills. There is a long tasting bar that can accommodate many people. Although there were several people already at the tasting bar when we arrived, we were still able to get our own corner and felt like our host did a nice job personalizing our tasting.  We tasted each of the appellation Cabernet Sauvignons and I felt they were all superb, each one having different characteristics. We splurged a little extra to sample the FORTIS. Our host was gracious enough to give us a poor of the Epitome wine as well. Both of them are beautiful wines. We finished up with a taste of the port, another fabulous wine.  In fact, we liked it so much we took a bottle home. If you like the wines enough to join the wine club you get special privileges like being able to bring guests to picnic in the estate gardens and discounts on the elevated tours and tastings.

My husband and I had a nice time at this winery.  We got to sample quite a few wines and left with a few bottles.  It was definitely worth splurging a little for the FORTIS tasting in my opinion, especially if you are like us and find the price tag for a full bottle out of your range.  I would return and maybe do an elevated tasting the next time.

 

PlumpJack Estate Winery

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PlumpJack Estate Winery

PlumpJack Estate Winery

620 Oakville Cross Road, Napa, CA 94558

Website: https://plumpjackwinery.com/

PlumpJack Estate Winery is tucked away on a cross road between Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail in the Oakville appellation.  This is an area of prestigious wineries like Silver Oak, Groth, Opus One, and Nickel & Nickel. PlumpJack is a sister winery to Cade and Odette.  I was first attracted to the winery because of its quirky name. The winery got its name from a Shakespearean character from Henry V, Sir John “PlumpJack” Falstaff, a down-to-earth, fun loving, irreverent gentleman.  The idea of PlumpJack Wines started as a wine store in San Fran in 1992 by friends Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty who had a mutual passion for wine.  Newsom and Getty came upon the historic property in Oakville that dated back to 1881 as the 11th bonded winery, and they purchased the 42 acres in 1995 creating PlumpJack Estate Winery.

View from PlumpJack's hilltop deck

View from PlumpJack’s hilltop deck

From the outside the winery has a fun, laid-back air.  A green and orange post fence leads from the parking lot along the path to the tasting room.  The front of the tasting room is covered in greenery and blends in with the surroundings. The glass doors at the entrance are painted green and orange to match the fencing.  To the left of the doorway is a metal shield with the PJW (PlumpJack Winery) symbol. Right outside the tasting room is a gravel area with some benches for lounging. There is also a look-out deck up a small hill with a great view of the surrounding valley.

Inside the tasting room there is a bit of a Medieval flair.  The lighting is a bit dim, but it fits with the overall atmosphere.  A horseshoe shaped tasting bar with a copper metal top is located right inside the doors.  Behind the bar and throughout the room are more shields hung on the walls. In the back of the room is another mini-bar, and in between the two bars is an open area with some unique wine gifts.

PlumpJack Tasting Room

PlumpJack Tasting Room

PlumpJack’s tasting experiences require prior appointment.  The winery focuses primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the different features of the winery is that they use screw caps for their wines, even the red wines.  The owners’ philosophy is that screw caps help better preserve the wines by eliminating the risk of cork taint. Traditionalists might still debate that wine can’t age as well with screw caps because it doesn’t get the same oxidation, but PlumpJack is still producing premium quality wines that have been rated very highly in wine magazines.  My husband and I started our tasting experience with a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Merlot. I really liked that we got the option to sample some of their sister properties as well. I enjoyed the wines but they have a hefty price tag. This winery does not waive the $40 tasting fee with purchase unless you spend $500 or join the PlumpJack Falstaff Society (that is rather outrageous to me if you aren’t interested in the joining the club).  If you are willing to pay a little bit more for your experience you can do a tasting on the patio, in the courtyard, or on the hilltop. I will give our host credit for providing a lot of information on the wines.  The Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and CADE Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were exceptionally smooth. I really enjoyed them but wasn’t ready to splurge on the big price tag.

My husband and I left feeling a little unsatisfied.  PlumpJack definitely produces high quality wine but they are out of my typical price range.  I was looking forward to more of the fun atmosphere, but I ended up feeling like it was overshadowed by the “prestige” they were pushing too much.  When I asked my husband afterwards for his summary of the winery, he described it as “hoity toity”. I would have appreciated more if they focused on the history behind the property and let the wines speak for themselves.

 

Spring Mountain Vineyard

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Entrance to Sping Mountain Vineyards

2805 Spring Mountain Rd, St Helena, CA 94574

Website: http://www.springmountainvineyard.com/

Visiting Spring Mountain Vineyard is like being invited to a special high society event.  All guests must have a prior reservation to visit. Although the winery accepts reservations up to 24 hours in advance, it is advised to plan ahead, especially during the busiest tourist months.  There are limited opening. The property is amazing.

My husband and I were treated like special guests as we we pulled up to the property.  When I stepped out of the car in the parking lot I breathed in the fresh mountain air and the the scent of eucalyptus from the huge trees surrounding us.

The historic Carriage House at Spring Mountain

The historic Carriage House at Spring Mountain

We walked along a path through the pristine greenhouse garden to the charming historic carriage house. Behind the carriage house is a hillside vineyard. The landscaping all around the property so pretty and well manicured.  We signed up for the Estate Tour in advance.

Spring Mountain Vineyard

Spring Mountain Vineyard

As we approached the tasting room we were greeted by by our host and handed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. We were invited to take a seat in some lounge chairs looking out at the surrounding hills until other guests arrived.  It was so serene. Our host was cordial and started asking us about where we were from and gave us a quick history of the winery and vineyards.

There is a lot of character and history to this winery.  The original Mexican American owner Tiburcio Parrott established the winery and cave in 1885.  Tiburcio built the victorian style mansion Miravalle that is still the hallmark of the estate today.  Over the years the property has changed hands a couple of times and has acquired three other vineyards – La Perla, Chevalier, and Streblow – to form the 850 acre estate that it is now.  The current owner is Swiss banker Jacqui Safra. In 1973 Spring Mountain Chardonnay took 4th place at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Another intriguing part of the history is that the drama series Falcon Crest was filmed on the site from 1981 to 1990.  It seems this is a part of the history that the current staff and owner do not like to highlight. I personally find it fascinating. Spring Mountain specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon mostly grown on hillsides. They have a large library of wines that are quite ageable.  The most well known wine is Elivette which is a primarily Cabernet Sauvignon red blend. They also produce Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah.

The back of the Miravalle mansion at Spring Mountain Vineyard

The back of the Miravalle mansion at Spring Mountain Vineyard

The Estate tour was a unique experience because we got to do a library tasting inside the Miravalle mansion.  To get to the mansion we walked along a stone pathway lined by trees and shrubs. It felt like walking through a small tropical forest. Then looming in front of us above the trees was the victorian structure.  I couldn’t help but to break out my camera and snap a photo. We proceeded to the front of the mansion where we could see an inground pool and sweeping views of more vines.

Tasting salon inside the Miravalle mansion at Spring Mountain Vineyard

Tasting salon inside the Miravalle mansion at Spring Mountain Vineyard

Our tour continued inside where we were taken to a salon with a long wooden table and a large window framed by stained glass that looked out on the front of the house.  Our tasting experience would have been ideal if it weren’t for the couple who joined us. First of all, they showed up a little late. It was clear from the time they arrived that these people had connections at the winery and were very wealthy. Our host started doting on them. We learned over the course of the tour that they owned their own business which was apparently very profitable.  They boasted about their travels around the world during our tasting and kept referring to the library of Spring Mountain wines that they already had at home. Our host was so focused on them that it started to feel awkward. I felt like an outsider who was invited to a party of closely knit friends and I had nothing in common. I always take notes during my tastings but I was feeling self-conscious and out of place as we tasted the different wines.  It was unfortunate because everything else about the winery was great. The wines were very elegant. I loved that we got to try wines from the library and do a side-by-side comparison. We ended up taking a few home.

The cost for the tour and wines is pricey but well worth the chance to sample some of the superb wines. If you don’t want to splurge for the tour you can do just a tasting instead for almost half the amount. Reservations are still required. There are a couple other tasting options as well.  Check the website for specific times and prices. Hopefully you’ll have better company during your tasting experience than we did.