Tag Archives: travel

P2 Day Tour Howell Mountain Napa Valley Spire Wine Collection

Posted on April 25, 2016 by waywardwine

Let us continue our completely undeserved tour of Napa Valley’s Spire Collection: Kendall Jackson’s cream of the buttercream of the creme fraiche of the crop. A Monday or so ago, Wayward Wine posted our morning visit and ridiculous picnic at Mt Veeder in Napa’s Southwest (read here).

Plump on mountain Malbec, local cheeses and charcuterie, we pop back into the company Mercedes and roll North across the valley. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anniversary, bakery, cabernet, California, Howell Mountain, merlot, Napa Valley, travel, wine | Leave a comment

Thirsty Thursday: Fattoria dei Barbi Rosso di Montalcino 2012

Posted on April 21, 2016 by waywardwine

If the heat keeps building where you live (and I am still sweating after yard work), the time has come to lighten up your red wine game.

I love Brunello di Montalcino. But the wines can be beastly. Luckily, Italy created Rosso di Montalcino DOC in 1984. With only a year of aging, six months minimum in barrel, winemakers could keep the lights on while their Brunello waits for four years, FOUR YEARS! Just imagine not getting paid for 2016 until 2020. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Barbi, Sangiovese, travel, tuscan, Tuscany, wine | Leave a comment

Black Stallion Winery Napa Valley

Posted on March 29, 2016 by waywardwine

Our Napa Valley tour keeps rolling. Our morning snuck around Pine Ridge (read here). Our mid-day got blasted by Lewis Cellars’ monster wines (read here). By now, our palates feel numb. Our teeth look black. But ever the professional, high-functioning alcoholics, we head South on the Silverado Trail to Black Stallion.

Past the big metal horse, the winery campus feels vast, dry-scaped with olives and citrus, and recalls a mission. Here 32 acres served as Silverado Horseman’s Center until 2007, when it became a winery. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Black Stallion, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, chardonnay, drinks, merlot, Napa Valley, travel, Viognier, wine | 4 Comments

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

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 →