Great Wine Source Wine Blog

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Posts Tagged Napa Valley

Wedding Destination

Feb 27

Posted by greatWineSource in Travel/trips | 2 Comments

Vineyard at Vino Bello/Meritage Resort in Napa


I recently read an article by Stephanie Cain in “Wine Spectator” magazine, see Napa May Ring Wedding Bells that except for a few wineries, county ordinances prevent weddings from being held on winery properties.

Grape Crusher at the head of Napa Valley

With a rule change possible in order for Napa Valley wineries to make more money, there’s so many options available. V. Sattui has been able to hold weddings and it is a beautiful location, so that’s a great option.

Vino Bello/Meritage Resort are able to hold conventions, educational event and weddings. If you’re a wine enthusiast, and looking to get married, think about Vino Bello. I’ve been to Vino Bello and with its beautiful vineyard hillside, the grape crusher statue at the head of Napa, a wine cave and a a open-air gazebo, it is breathtaking. Here’s some images from my convention there last year.

Estate Wine Cave

The resort itself is amazingly beautiful with an Old World Tuscan décor, located in the heart of wine country in the shadow of the Grape Crusher statue at the head of Napa Valley. Upscale accommodations with Jacuzzi’s, heated swimming pools, full kitchens or kitchenettes, fine dining and wine tasting bar. It’s only 10 minutes from downtown Napa, the Wine Train and Oxbow Marketplace. You can schedule wine tours, recreational activities and in-room services with the Resort concierge.

Golfing available at the Chardonnay Golf Course (three different nine-hole courses).

Choosing this location for your wedding or business meeting will impress, excite and satisfy.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Robert Mondavi 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Feb 23

Posted by greatWineSource in Wine of the Day | Comments off

What is in a rating?

The other night I purchased a Robert Mondavi Napa Valley 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon for our Bunco game. The store indicated that Wine Enthusiast rated it a 91. Wine Advocate gives it a 90.

Wine Enthusiast’s rating scale indicates that 90-94 — Excellent. Extremely well made and highly recommended.
Wine Advocate’s rating scale indicates that 90-95 — Outstanding; exceptional complexity and character.

I tried the Mondavi 2006 and while it was good, it didn’t wow me. I expected for a rating of 90, 91 that it would be complex with a myriad of deep flavors and aromas.

According to the winemaker, it is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Syrah.

“Dark and densely concentrated, expressive aromas of blackberry, currants and subtle notes of thyme and cinnamon lead to flavors of blackberry, black plum and a bit of black olive. Knit together with big, mouth-coating tannins, this is an engagingly well-structured, bold-statement wine.”

Wine Advocate notes that: “Slightly superior to the 2005, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa possesses a dark ruby/purple color as well as a creme de cassis, spice box, and floral-scented bouquet, and a medium to full-bodied finish. A strong effort, it should drink nicely for 12-15 years.”

Maybe it does need to age more because for me (and another Bunco guest), it did not have the complexity and that we long for in Cabernets. The tannins were softer than preferred (I prefer very firm). I noted subtle hints of berries, and a medium finish, but there was very little expressive about this wine. It was only $19.99 at Festival Foods, so for a Cabernet in that price range it was very acceptable.

Would I buy it again? For $19.99, perhaps, but not for anything more than that.

Next up, Benziger 2006 Sonoma County Cabernet. Rated by Wine Enthusiast at 90 points, it will be interesting to see which wine I prefer.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Musings from Napa and Sonoma

Jul 6

Posted by greatWineSource in Travel/trips | Comments off

I recently returned from our annual convention to Napa Valley. I stay at the Vino Bello Resort (fabulous resort by the way, highly recommend it). It was a great convention, and needless to say, much wine was enjoyed.

This was my second visit to Napa Valley, the first being last year at our annual convention. My initial impressions of Napa last year and this were that it doesn’t initially meet the vision that one has in their mind about wine country. The wineries are wonderful and plentiful, so don’t get me wrong there. It’s great to visit all the large and small wineries and sample so many terrific and varied wines (and on a side note, as someone who works in the wine industry, wine tastings are free, and discounts plentiful). I was, however, hoping to see the rolling hills and beauty of wine country that one imagines.

I was not disappointed. But, the beauty wasn’t found in Napa Valley. The true beauty of wine country is found in neighboring Sonoma. My friends Jennifer, Beverly and I headed over to Sonoma County on Monday afternoon, after a full weekend of wine. One would think that we’d be all “wined” out. After all, there’s only so much wine one can take, right? Well, yes and no.

We headed over to Schug winery just off Hwy 121 in Sonoma. It’s not an easy to find winery, and we had to turn around once. But it was well worth it! The views on the way met every expectation I had of wine country. Hills, and vineyards as far as you could see. It was as if we were taking a trip back in time (well, except for the road construction).

Once we arrived, at Schug Carneros Estate Winery, we were not disappointed. A small tasting room, we were the only ones there, but we loved it! It was truly a personalized experience. Schug specializes in Pinot Noir and if you’re a Pinot Noir fan, you know that a good one can be hard to find. Schug’s Pinot was quite delicious, as was their oaked Chardonnay (harder and harder to come by). Jennifer fell in love with the Chardonnay as she is a huge, full-bodied oak-filled fan. Schug had the cutest little demi bottles, and we each purchased a couple of them, as well as “Vinifera” cards cataloging many of the well-known and some not-so-well known grape varietals. Their tasting room is small, which made it even more special. We were treated with great service, and will definitely be visiting Schug again next year!

I invite all of you to come next year!
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