Smith Madrone Vineyards, a family run, estate-bottled winery located in St. Helena, California was founded in 1971 by brothers Stuart and Charles Smith who are the Managing Partner/Vineyard Manager, and Winemaker respectively. The name of the winery is a tribute to the Smith brothers and the predominant tree on the ranch. The Madrone is an evergreen…
Tag: Napa Valley
Wine of the Week; 2008 Castello di Amorosa La Castellana
Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out. For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2008 Castello di Amorosa La Castellana. Winery Castello di Amorosa is Napa Valley’s own slice of Tuscany. It’s a winery with…
#WineWednesday Review – Robert Mondavi Private Selection
If the blossoming of the plethora of cherry blossom trees is to be believed…Spring has sprung here in Northern California. And that has got me thinking of picnics…and picnic wines! Here are two budget-friendly wines that fit the picnic wine bill quite nicely. 2011 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay (Central Coast) 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection…
2013 ZAP Zinfandel Festival Recap!
Last week I attended the 22nd Annual Zinfandel Festival. It’s hosted by the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (“ZAP”). This was my second year attending this mother of all things Zinfandel event. I attended two of the four events – Epicuria Food & Zin Pairings on Thursday, and the Grand Tasting on Saturday. Epicuria Epicuria, a “gourmet adventure”, is a walk around tasting…
Tasted: A Trio of V. Sattui Winery Wines
V. Sattui Winery is located in Napa Valley town of St. Helena. It’s one of the most popular stops (over 400k visitors annually) along Highway 29. And with a plethora of wonderful wines (over 45), an on-site gourmet deli and cheese shop, great picnic grounds, and a reasonable ($10) wine-tasting fee (down-right inexpensive by Napa…
Wine of the Week: 2008 Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out. For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2008 Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. The Winery Robert Keenan Winery is located in the Spring Mountain District AVA (it’s one of…
Rutherford Grove Winery; A Birthday To Remember!
My wife and I have talked about renting a limousine and going to Napa for years. Over my tepid objections, we finally decided to take the plunge this year for my birthday. The winery of the day was Rutherford Grove Winery (a friend in the business arranged for our group of ten’s visit to Rutherford Grove). Despite the…
Wine of the Week: Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay Reserve
The 2010 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay Reserve is my Wine of the Week (“WoW”) for September 22-September 28. The Winery The Robert Mondavi Winery was established in 1966 by Robert Mondavi, one of the most influential and esteemed winemakers in California history (Click here for his story). It was the first major winery built in Napa Valley. For decades it was California’s most…
East Bay Wine And Food Events For August 10th-12th
Some great East Bay wine and food events are on tap for next weekend; Aug 10-12th!
Wine of the Week: 2008 Hawk and Horse Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Here’s a great Cab from Lake County, north of the Napa Valley that will hold its own against Napa Valley Cabs!