Tag Archives: California

Tasting at Lewis Cellars Winery Napa Valley

Posted on March 24, 2016 by waywardwine

We leave the vast caves and hobbit-infested knolls of Pine Ridge (read here). Already late and marginally sober we bolt south. Stags Leap AVA flattens into the vine-plain of Oak Knoll. We blast past the winery, turn around and pull up a long drive to the innocuous, tall, grey, free standing building with a big L on it: Lewis Cellars.

Inside, white wash and windows feel like a Southern tea room. We sit with two other couples on a long table.

Lewis owns no vineyards. They started sourcing grapes in ’89 as Oakville Ranch Winery. A car crash in 1991 ended Randy Lewis’ 23 year Formula 1 and 3 career. So he turned to completely to wine. Being Napa, it did not hurt being rich. Today they make 6,000 cases, 1/3rd of which are Chardonnay… Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cabernet, California, chardonnay, drink, grapes, Lewis Cellars, Napa Valley, Negociant, photography, travel, wine, Wine Cellar, wine maker | 3 Comments

St Clement Vineyards Napa Valley

Posted on March 11, 2016 by waywardwine

Charmed but challenged by Beringer (read here), we roll up the 29 to St. Clement Winery. Another lovely Victorian home awaits us at the top of a terraced vineyard.

St Clement WineryFar from San Francisco, North, at the narrowest, windiest (and today, wettest) gap in Napa Valley, Fritz Rosenbaum built his home in 1878.

Fritz gilded the Gilded Age, thanks to fancy mirrors and stained glass sold to San Fran (as well as the Beringers…$6,000 of their $28,000 was Fritz’s stained glass). This was in the bathroom: Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cabernet, California, drink, Napa Valley, St Clement, wine | 2 Comments

Beringer Napa Valley Winery Visit

Posted on March 9, 2016 by waywardwine

After Freemark Abbey (here) and Raymond Vineyard (here) yesterday, our 8th wedding anniversary Napa Valley trip heads to iconic Beringer Vineyards.

We shoot up the 29, rain phasing in and out, twiggy vineyards in various stages of pruning, grassy greeness everywhere:

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beringer, cabernet, California, drinks, Napa Valley, wine | 1 Comment

Raymond Vineyards and The CIA Greystone Conservatory Restaurant

Posted on March 8, 2016 by waywardwine

Unlike storied Freemark Abbey (read our visit: here), Raymond Vineyard opened with the Napa bandwagon of upstarts in 1970. Roy Raymond did begin by marrying into and working for Beringer in the 1930s. Since then, five generations of Raymonds had created elegant serious Cabernet, Chardonnay, and dessert wines. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cabernet, California, chardonnay, CIA, drinks, Napa, Napa Valley, Raymond Vineyards, wine | Leave a comment

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley

Posted on March 7, 2016 by waywardwine

In 1980, Ted Edwards took the helm as winemaker. Most fields suffer a musical chair game of aspirational people climbing ladders, hopping from jon to jon. Yet Ted has stayed at Freemark ever since.

When Jess Jackson bought Freemark in 2006, they wisely kept Ted in control. KJ also saw that Freemark needed restoration. The original 1890s Lombarda cellar looked in rough shape. The tasting room seemed dark and small. So, with 40 million dollars, work is underway to expand and overhaul the stone cellar into a premier tasting palace and restaurant with two Michelen starred Japanese cuisine winemakers. Continue reading →