Napa VAlley Wines

 

There's nothing like a beautiful sunny day in November to ride along the Silverado Trail in St Helena, CA. Our GPS was chirping out turns and then finally "you have arrived".....but where was the winery? Where were the vines? Where were the forty acres? After a long climbing, windy road up a mountain, we arrived at what looked to be a pretty plain looking ranch style building. I was not impressed .....yet!

 

My wife Donna and I parked the car and went inside to a small tasting room and met my contact, Chris Carmichael. When you are "in the business", it's a good idea to call ahead and arrange some private time. You also want to be mindful not to expect much attention during the crush season. Chris was excellant. He told us the history of the family, how they came to the mountain for a change of pace when the orinator Koerner Rombauer left his job as a pilot for Braniff Airlines.

 

He took us outside to the crushing area. We saw the massive steel tanks for collecting and fermenting, empty bins from the grape collection and then we turned and stepped inside to what I personally find exciting and that is the caves for storing and cooling the wine. Rombauer was the first to introduce the cave system in Napa. These caves go for miles into the mountain and are ideal for colloing and storing the barrells of wine at the correct temperature.

 

If that wasn't cool enough, Chris brought us through a large door and we were back outside standing in front of their signiture wine cask door.

Rombauer was on our list to visit because Donna and I love their Cabernet Sauvignon. We didn't know that they made a Chardonnay that will rock your taste buds also. When we thought that we had learned so much about Rombauer, we discovered their Red Zinfandel at $28.00 a bottle. Chris saved this one until last. It was delicious to say the least.It was rich, vibrant, and juicy with aromas of cherry and wild berry, and with soft notes of black pepper. Tightly packed layers of cranberries, wild berries, and ripe cherries flow together with a touch of allspice for a rich, full flavor. Moderate tannins show in the rich, mouth filling finish. Awesome!!

 

This wine is great with or without food. If you are not buying direct through their wine club you will be looking at around $36.00 per bottle and it is worth it !!