Winery_Times

Very Sad News

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Mark on May 24th. He had just completed a wine tour when he suffered a heart attack at 5:30 PM. Paramedics arrived at the scene within two minutes and tried for over an hour to revive him, but he never regained consciousness. We want to extend our sincere appreciation for their efforts.
We also want to thank everyone who has been reading his blog and voting for him -- he reached number two in the ratings just a few days after his death. He would have been so pleased to have achieved that level of popularity.
Mark was an exceptional man: honest, hardworking and sincere. Our love for him will never die.

Riposarti nella pace, fratello mio.

Mark's Family

My Wine List will soon be a Data Driven Web Site!

As most my readers know I also have a wine list.  It is now approaching 1000 wineries Napa and Sonoma Counties only.  I have come up with a plan to incorporate the wine list into a web site which will be for my new company California Wine Limo.  To illustrate the time and effort I have put into this business.  It will open to a main page stating what I just said with a button for Napa and one for Sonoma click a button and it opens to the districts of each county, click a district and it opens to the wineries in that district , click a winery and it opens to all the information on that winery, wines and prices.

The company will be dedicated to doing wine tours for up to 8 people and focusing on wine buyers and collectors.  Each tour will be planned for the individual and to a level that they desire.

More to follow as plans develop!

Repeat Business

I have many repeat customers one of the best I will call Ms Yo as she may not want her real name used here. 

I get many women coming here for a girls day off, leave the husbands, leave the kids, have careers and want some fun with the friends.  They come to do girl stuff, not have to deal with the guys or the kids, shop, drink, eat and party!  They are women successful in their own right and want some freedom to have fun without their better half or the opinion therein, enough said!

The day started in the center of SF union square six women and the destination Napa Valley!   Ms Yo has to do all her planning why ask me  I am just the most experienced wine guide in Napa, what could I have to say?  Well Ms Yo is pretty good, except for the fact she told me she wanted Chardonnay, Napa has some good Chardonnay but the fruit all comes from the Carneros or the Russian River Valley.

Here is where we went Trefethen great Cabernet Oak Knoll district, Folie a Deux moved from North of St Helena to now next to Mustard's between Yountville and Oakville, presently being remodeled.  Next we went to ZD this is a organic winery and they make a very good Pinot using the Hanzell Pinot clone.  Finally, finishing the day at Schramsberg the Champagne destination for the Napa Valley.

A great day and we returned to Yo's house in the city, I can only imagine what happened next as I was off to the next job!

New Releases

This is the first time I have had two days off in a row in a couple of months!   I am cleaning up my backed up mail and discovered a bunch of new releases have occurred as of late.  So I am placing them in alphabetical order and do not draw any opinions other than there is no bad wine in this area.

Anomaly has released their 2005 Cabernet only 877 cases were produced, this is on as first come first served basis 375's 6/$255, 12/$510, 750 $75 a bottle, 1.5 $175 a bottle  Anomoly Vineyards   (707) 967.8448.

Capiaux Cellars this one is a little dated but if you are interested give it a try.  2006 Chimera $28, 2006 Widow's Vineyard $40, 2006 Gary's Vineyard $42 limited to 8 bottles, 2006 Swink Vineyard $10 limit 12 these are all Pinot Noir. Fax orders to 707.965.0116.

Fisher Vineyards has released their 2005 Unity Cabernet 750 $45 limit 48, 1.5 $100 limit 6 and 3.0 $250 limit 1, they also have released their 2006 Chardonnay 750 $55 and their 2005 Mountain Estate Cabernet 750 $85.  Fisher Vineyards 707.539-7511.

Harris Estate 2005 Treva's 750 $125, 2005 Lake view 750 $110, 2005 Jake's Creek Vineyard 750 $110, 2003 Jake's Creek 750 $120 these are all available in 6 or 12 packs no discount off bottle price.  707.942.1513.

The hit of the taste of Oakville was the Hoopes Vineyard Cabernet 2005 Oakville Cabernet 750 $60 in wooden box, 3 pack in wooden box $180 and 6 pack in wooden box $360 winery is 707.944.1869 or I know Cult Wine Central has the wine 707.944.1710.

Wow too many wine tours!

I have done so many wine tours this month I have not had a chance to write much about them!

Some of the new spots I visited are Terra Valentine, Valentine because the owner was born on Valentine's Day the second of twins and unknown to the parents, being unprepared with a name they just decided to name him Valentine.  So quite literally the name is Valentine's ground.  The winery itself was built by Fred Aves in 1970 he was of swiss origin and his family winery in Switzerland was founded in 1864 the entrance doors commemorate these dates on the interior.  Fred was a good student of stained glass and created some beautiful windows at the winery.  It was a work in progress and it took Angus Wurtele to complete it.  He and his wife bought the property and completed the winery in 1999, no small task added vineyards and now have some very good and reasonably priced wines available for purchase.  They have two Cabernet one from the 1000' Wurtele vineyard and another from the more recently planted 2000'  Yverdon Vineyard both rated above 90 and price below $40 I will have to return to taste these wines!

Failla is a undiscovered gem just across the street from Rombauer these wine are made by Erin Jordan long the wine maker for the famed Turley Winery.  This winery has some of the best Pinot I have tasted and a Viogier that is outstanding the amazing thing is the fruit is all from the Sonoma coast a marketing ploy that makes them a destination in the Northern Napa Valley as no one has Pinots there, well none like these!  This is a cannot miss destination for the Pinot drinkers reading this blog!

Harris Estate, now this is a Cabernet house after my own dreams planted with clone 6 and 337 my favorite clones the 2002 first vintage was rated 94 by Parker and this was the first fruit these vines produced get the picture.  Mike Harris greeted us with his black lab Jake and the nicest tasting room around very similar to the one at Constant Diamond Mountain and  I am told it was designed by the same person in both instances!  This is another must taste experience, as you can see I have my work cut out for me but do not fear I am up to the challenge!

I am the luckiest man on earth to have my job and I have to say it is great to have such fabulous clients who often introduce me to places I do not know.  My computer is down at the time of this post but there are some pictures in winery times 5 photo album!

Terra Valentine        Failla Wines    Harris Estate

Please forgive me!

I am sorry for the glitch to viewing this blog! I had a bad link in the sidebar which messed up loading the site!  We are now back up and viewing on all browsers.

I have a couple of things to announce: Mitch got his contract renewed at the cannot be mentioned fruit source.... So Holloway Cellars continues despite the negative...

Oh I have a new license I am now 23685 TCP # California Wine Limo by URL and PUC permit.  Call me if you want a tour in my car. 4 is the limit at the moment but let me know about up to 10 as I can arrange it if necessary.

I finally have broken tha top 50 at Local Wine Events, right at the 1 year anniversary of this website!

Thank you to all my friends and family for your support! I am now 49 in the world on local wine events and soon to be 35 --I am projecting!
Stay tuned for the next update of the best wine list as we are approaching  1000 wineries and adding tasting room fee and appellation details for those interested in Sonoma County in particular.
So there you have it - please remember to vote and do call if you would like me to assist you in planning a wine tour of the more serious nature!

Story Book Mountain

There is a winery north of Calistoga once known as one of the Big Three Jacob Wineries at the end of the nineteenth century.  There was Jacob Beringer, Jacob Schram, and Jacob Grimm.  Jacob Grimm and his brother had the Brothers Grimm Winery.  This winery remained active 'til, in 1964, a big forest fire came through there and while burning all the way to Santa Rosa that year,  completely destroyed the vineyard!  All that remained was a small grove of redwoods that show the evidence of that fire to this day.

Twelve years passeed as several people tried to rebuild the vineyard that once was. Finally, Jerry Seps and his wife purchased the property.  Jerry was a professor at Standford and longed to try his hand at wine making.  Originally, he planted all Zinfandel and to this day the primary wines are Zinfandel.
Jerry has a style of wine making which I would classify as old world. He picks the fruit at lower brix and higher acid  which gives his wine excellent longevity.  The oldest vintage is drinking excellently right now.  His reserve is actually a barrel select which he chooses on that basis. He has divided the vineyard into many blocks and treats the barrels in the cave the same way .  He does a Zinfandel blended with Viongier that is well received and a Cabernet.  His wine is excellent and should not be missed.   

By Appointment (707) 942-5334 Story Book Mountain

Newton Vineyard

The week Jaime Davies died another great Icon of the Napa Valley passed away, Sir Peter Newton.

I was up at this winery with the controller for Moet Hennessey this last Saturday, M-H now owns the winery.  But... let me back up about forty to fifty years. Peter was originally from the white cliffs of Dover in Britain.  He literally came from the house with blue shutters that has been painted and photoed in ads for the place.

Peter and his wife Sue Wah were the founders of Sterling Vineyard which popped up in the 1960's as the spot to stop on your way to Calistoga. 

The wine was fantastic and they had this exciting tram ride.  The story on the tram was the authorities were not going to give a permit for it but Peter's wife said they had them all over in China where she came from and so why not here?  Well, I guess she embarrassed the planners for Napa County and they granted the permit.  Hence, the famous tram was born! 

Peter was not just all about a tram though, he was after world class wine and planted the first Merlot grapes in the Valley.  The fame of the wine and the lure of the winery was such that Coca Cola bought it in 1974. This was one of the first corporate buy outs of a winery to that date and big news at the time!  Coke's lawyers were careful to put a non competition clause into the buy out preventing Peter from going back into the wine business.  To their dismay however they neglected to include Sue Wah his wife in this clause, so two years later or there about, Newton Vineyard was born.

Newton is out the end of Madrona Road, on the southwest side of Spring Mountain, a huge ranch of over 500 acres.  Initially, its focus was Peter's passion, Merlot. Being old school and wanting to mirror the French he also made Claret, a blend of several Bordeaux  blending  grapes, meant to be drunk young  without having to age like a Merlot or Cabernet.   Chardonnay was also made, but not in the  usual Valley style but Sur  de Lys (I hope I am spelling that correctly) or on the yeast as it is translated.  This gives the wine complexity and longevity. Malolatic fermentation and oak barrel aging are included, but the real distinction is the wine is left unfiltered!  This makes for some cloudy and darker looking Chardonnay but it is also long lived and quite a complex wine.   This wine is highly prized by the patrons of the vineyard and is quickly sold out upon release each year.

The Wine Maker recently decided to plant 5% Cabernet to the vineyard which will give them more estate fruit to choose for their Blend which they call Puzzle.  This is never the same ,but a concoction arrived at by blending what is good each year , hence it is a Puzzle.  The wine list would not be complete without a good Cabernet made is the old school style to lay down and age well, allowing it to develop as good Cab should!

I stated before these wines are unfiltered but to really appreciate the level and the dedication which is given to making these wines, one really must go the the winery and tour the facility.  It really is incredible, a hidden treasure below ground as impressive below as it is visually above!

The first thing that is different or better is the various compartments which are all temperature controlled so that each fermentation can be handled alone.  These caves and rooms within have evolved over time, as knowledge was gained and needs became apparent.   There are the original caves, the compartmental caves, and then 75 feet below, the aging caves which are connected to the caves above by a vertical shaft and a spiral staircase.  This shaft must have been very difficult to construct and dealing with the water at times, I am sure, has been challenging!

Peter's life was so remarkable he was Knighted "Sir Peter" by the Queen of England several years back.
His wife of many years has been a great ally on this journey and has been an active hand in all aspects of the vineyard.  Sue Wah's Oriental heritage is mirrored every where in the winery.  Sir Peter has passed on but Sue Wah lives on.   Stay tuned for what she will do next.  I am sure it will be another chapter in the history of the Napa Valley!

Tours are by appointment only.Call them and they will call you back within one day (707) 204-7423.   Cathy or Debbie will call you back 11-2:30 are tour times. Click here for the web site:  Newton   The email is [email protected]

Be sure and look in  winery_times 5 photo album for more pictures there were too many to just post here!

2005 Ghost Block Begins to Ship!

The pre-release sale Ghost Block 2005 began to ship this week for those that ordered before April 10! 

Then the formal release will be at the Toast of Oakville on April 28 and shipping will start again on May 1. 

The production is again 1500 cases or 3000 six packs, however much was sold at the pre-release. As of last week 300 cases remained.  If anyone wants wine they need to call and place a order with Megan - which will be shipped May 1.  If any is remaining it can be ordered online May 1 but as I say, this could be too late.

In Search of Hillside Cabernet

I did a tour that was after my own heart this week.  Starting out in Napa we headed first to Howell Mountain and the place I recently wrote about, Ladera Vineyards.

The building above was constructed about 1882 but has been renovated inside to be one of the most modern wineries in the Napa Valley, all state of the art gravity flow.  It is an absolutely gorgeous marriage of the old and the new!  This facility alone is reason enough to visit, of course given the attention to detail both in the vineyard and at the winery, it also produces some very special wines!

 

Next we went  across the valley to the Barnett Winery where the Barnett's German shepherd oversees all arrivals.  The woman in the tasting room was one of the most hospitable of any in the
valley! Wow, does she do a great job.  If you are a member of their club they give you lunch! Either pizza or a picnic basket from the Sunshine Market, your choice.  The Barnetts are replanting a vineyard that was originally installed in 1983.  Their flagship is the Rattlesnake Hill, named for the snakes that were so numerous in these hills when they cleared the land for this spectacular vineyard.
   We then proceed, after a great lunch overlooking the valley at Barnett, about 300 yards down the driveway to Sherwin.  This is another great Cabernet created by Steve Sherwin, a man that was born into the cattle ranching business of the central valley.  He decided in 1992 to buy this 30 acres and carve out a vineyard from the wild hillside, a most difficult task.  Now, 15 years later, he has not only pulled it off but he has established himself as a  top Spring Mountain Cabernet. This was reflected in the crowd there at the tasting room, no one wanted to leave.

Our last stop of the day was voted the best deal for the dollar: Behrens and Hitchcock !  They are only another 300 yards down the road that leads to Sherwin.  Whoa, this guy Les makes some wine! There were about 11 wines available and all had stories of great fruit!  Les knows everyone and gets some awesome fruit from very exclusive vineyards!  He prices these wines in a way that must upset some to the folks that sell wines for far more money.  Thanks Les!

So let me know if anyone out there wants a Hillside Cabernet tour.  There are about 30 more secret places in those hills and the reward is fabulous Cabernet!

Wine Blog Awards

Well it seems that there are many bloggers out there that are upset about these wine blog awards.

I am surprised that so many are so competitive about these awards that Tom made up to give some credit to those that are winners. 

Personally, I do this blog because I love it and I do not worry too much about awards.  My readers are a reward in themselves, I never thought anyone would read my articles.  I did this blog to retain and gain clients that want to do wine tastings in Napa and Sonoma counties.  I am very knowledgeable about the wineries and wine makers. I have done so many tours I do not think there are many with more experience. 

My wine list is greater and more full with information about wines and wineries than any other I have seen.  I have spent years studying and tasting.  So most folks are not a threat to me as I have been tasting for 50 years, few can say that and still be in retention of their faculties, because most are 75-80 years old.  I started tasting at 5 so I have years more experience.  All I do is study wines and talk with winery folk,  so whether anyone gives me an award or not, my knowledge cannot be taken away.

I do wine tours because I love to see people so appreciative of a day of tasting, hugging me and thanking me.  Sending me wine and paying me to give them advice is nice too.  I love my job and I thank my clients for giving me such a wonderful life.  Every day is another's special day and I am driving the car!

Thanks to all who have come and come again to tour the most beautiful place in the world Napa and Sonoma counties. Please to all that read my blog: come again and do another tour!  Thanks Mark!

New Releases

I have been writing on the tours and the company, now I need to catch up on releases!

Black Cat has released their 2005 Syrah only 150 cases made $42 a bottle 10% discount on cases.
Tracey Reichow is the  Winemaker, call 321-0866 to place orders. www.blackcatvineyard.com

Ouintessa is offering a pre-release of their 2005, 6 bottles at $654, 3 bottles at $327 , limit one case.  The 1.5 is $245 and the 3.0 is $545! http://www.quintessa.com/

Fisher has released its Unity 2005 $45,  (Parker says good acidity and tannins) www.fishervineyards.com

Capiaux Cellars is saying their spring 2006 release will be mailed shortly and the fall is due in August.  www.capiauxcellars.com

Ridge Vineyards is doing their spring release event April 6-7 at both tasting rooms with a full list of wines to taste all fantastic!  http://www.ridgewine.com/news/events.taf

DR Stefhens have released their Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay 2005, $50, and their 2005 DRII Cabernet $60 , 1.5 $130 (6 max) or 375 $32 first come first served!  www.drstephensestate.com

Well I hope I am not too rude but I was in Vegas at the limo show and have been playing catch up since so things have kind of backed up!  But hey who else gives you this much good wine in one article I am in wine heaven, no?

Our Mission!

The Napa Valley has developed into the premiere wine region in the US in the last forty years.  Beginning with the break up of Inglenook in 1965 things started changing. Robert Mondavi opened his winery and one after anotherothers followed suit.  Today Highway 29 is a veritable winery row and the Napa Valley has gone from one wine growing region to 14 and soon  to be 15 with the addition of Calistoga as an Appellation.

In 1976 the blind tasting in Paris brought notoriety to the Napa Valley. It was instigated by the then little known wine merchant Steven Spurrier, (now head buyer for Christie’s Auctions of London)   who arranged a tasting in Paris.  At this tasting the participants declared Stag’s Leap Cask 23 and Chateau Montelena Chardonnay best Red and best White of the tasting, an honor the French would never have bestowed had they not unknowingly given it.

Over the years there have been many changes in the valley but one thing has not changed and that is the passion to produce the finest wine the earth can create!  The synergy brought about by so many great wine makers in one place has accelerated improvement in the quality of the wine and developed a style that can only be produced by the unique climate and volcanic soils that the volcano Mount St Helena has provided.

At Limos America we have been watching and adapting to these changes through the years!  From years of experience we can get our clients into wineries and tasting rooms that are only known by locals.  At these properties the wine is bought and consumed without distribution, because the quality is such that distributors are not required and production is so low. We believe that if our clients come here to taste they should be experiencing wine which they would not be able to find where they live. This is the point of coming here!

On our extensive wine list we have catalogued over 50 varietals grown in the regions of Napa and Sonoma and are approaching listing 1000 wineries.  There is no other Limo service that can compare to our dedication to our clients as illustrated by our wine list and Blog.  If you want the most knowledgeable and experienced service there is no other choice.

If you are looking for wine tour to which value is added by the driver’s experience and knowledge then Limos America is your choice. We can assist you in making your tour a day not soon forgotten.  From a simple tour to an extravagant procurement and collection of a serious cellar we have the knowledge and experience to assist you!

I was born here in 1953, who else says that in their literature?

We await your putting us to the test!

Mark V Marino

http://www.californiawinelimo.com Blog

http://www.limosamerica.com/

What a Week, Day Five!

Well it has taken me another week to manage write of one week of tours, to add the last day, day five! 

I just got back from the Limo show in Vegas and have a day off today.

I picked up a couple from Phoenix at the World Mark in Windsor.  They told me they had a list of wineries they wanted to visit as  they had free tasting tickets.   They were very happy to be here tasting and had not had too much experience with wines.  They were complete opposites as far as their wine appreciation. He liked big reds and she sweet whites!  She was very nice and announced she liked free tasting tickets because she was cheap but also because she had extras, she enjoyed giving them to people along the way so they too could taste for free!

We headed off north to Geyserville  and stopped at Geyser Peak which was started long ago by Henry Trione, a local legend for his business success. 15 years ago he sold it to corporate America .   It produces some widely distributed wines and is best known for it's Cabernet.  Next stop was Mosaic, a winery which is more boutique in size and nature.  The owners here are very hands on and the tasting room is adorned with the art of one of the partners wives. Her art is truly beautiful and completely unique.  This places makes some good and reasonably priced wines.  The clients liked the Sangiovese and purchased several bottles!   Next, we drove over to Clos du Bois, another big winery made famous by the purchase of it's fruit from the great Robert Young Estate Vineyard.  Great wine is made with great fruit and it is true here as well, their Cabernet has always been good!  The place we went next was Simi on Healdsburg Ave. at the end of town going toward Geyserville. This is another long established winery with a colorful history, my clients bought the Late Harvest wine here.  Our last stop was the Alderbrook Winery, right at the beginning of Westside Rd outside of Healdsburg. This is where  an old business associate of mine was married years ago to his para legal--to the upset of his recently divorced wife, but that is another story.  They tasted the wine there and did not buy, but purchased a lot of accessories, chocolate covered blueberries and peanut brittle.
That was the day for those two and the week for me.  These five articles were to illustrate the wide variability in wine tours from one day to the next!  Hope you enjoyed it!