Archive for the ‘Wine Places’ Category
I had an experience last week that reminded me that we ought not ever assume that our world view correlates to the world view of others. Or at the very least, don’t assume that what you drink is what everyone else drinks. Over the course of two days judging at the Riverside International Wine Competition, I and three other compatriots tasted upwards of 250 or so wines…most of which I’d never purchased, never seen, never tasted nor in some cases,…
To my right there’s a woodsy looking guy in plaid who supplies hives to numerous grape growers in Napa Valley and he’s getting pretty darned excited about hatching queens directly into his hand. To my left is a table of food that holds a plate of chopped up blood sausage that is to die, but also a four-inch high moose (as in the big antlers) pie that I’ve arranged to get the recipe for. Across the table is a gentleman…
Among all the various Napa Valley sub-appellations, some stand out more than others and possess more prestige than others. I’m thinking of Oakville, Rutherford, Stag’s Leap District, Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain. These are the top-tier sub appellations when it comes to recognition. Then you have the next tier of recognition: Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder, Calistoga, Carneros, Coombsville. Oak Knoll, Yountville. Lesser known, yet they are every bit a part of the vastly more famous and valuable and larger American…
Anyone who lives in Napa Valley will be familiar with this experience: A friend or acquaintance from out-of-town calls, says they are coming to the Valley for a getaway or vacation and asks for recommendations on where to eat, where to taste wine and where to stay. It happens on a regular basis. In fact, it happens so often that I’ve actually put together a document that has a list of my personally recommended places to eat, drink and sleep…
Nothing better defines the wake man leaves in his path than artificial illumination. It must be true that as soon as we learned how to create or capture fire, one person or a team were designated the “Firekeepers”, tasked with never letting the fire go out, lest the miraculous light it cast on night’s pitch black be lost. And surely, that person long ago who possessed the skill to produce fire at will was protected against harm as his particular…
