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!
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