Yesterday's Tour of Napa: Three Highs and A Not So High Point

My tour of California wine country is in full swing! I had a great day in Napa yesterday, visiting four very distinct wineries. I took copious notes on all the wines I tried (and will let you know what I found buy-worthy!) but I'm going to save those and write up each individual winery when I get back from this whirlwind week! Now, I'll just give you the preview so you know what to expect. I'd love to hear if you've been to any of these properties and what your experience was like!

Suffice it to say, despite having 2 crap-ass rental cars (we returned the first because of potential mortal danger involving the brake system, but the second one we kept and that has no power steering. I will be turning quickly into an American Gladiator from the manual steering), MC Ice and I are having an awesome time!

Here was yesterday's run-down:

10 AM: Honig Winery.
We got to our appointment (they are open by appointment only, BTW) a little early and were happy for it. Honig is in a gorgeous setting -- very naturalistic and unpretentious. There's a small indoor tasting area and a large outdoor one, all very tastefully done but not over the top, which is really great for Napa, which sometimes goes a little overboard with the decor.

The hospitality was great! Our guide through Honig's top 4 wines (that's a proper tasting folks -- between 4 and 6 wines -- not the 10 that I got when I went to the ick that was my local wine area, North Georgia!) was a dude named Mark from Iowa. He was a smart guy, and introduced us to Mike Honig, the owner, and Kristin Bellair, the winemaker.

We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed their flagship Sauvignon Blanc ($16 and available everywhere) and their standard Cabernet Sauvignon ($40 but really solid and not a pot of blackberry juice like many Napa Cabs). High marks for the casual and fun atmosphere AND the high quality wines!

11:30: Chateau Montelena.
I've never been to the famed property way the hell up in Calistoga (it's a trek) but they won the Judgment of Paris against the French for their amazing wines, so I thought now may be a good time to check out the goods.

The property was breathtaking -- I felt like we were approaching an English Manor or German Castle. It's nestled in the woods and no expense was spared when this building was constructed. I worried that the inside was a harbinger of wine snootiness inside, but I couldn't have been further off.

Jaime and Nyk, the young marketers for Montelena, showed us around and sampled us on 5 of Montelena's wines -- a Riesling, their flagship Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, a Zinfandel and their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. I get it. They deserved to win. Their wines are subtle, French-style and really outstanding -- totally different from anything I've ever had in Napa. And Jaime, Nyk, and everyone else we met were down to earth, interested in the blog and in our lives in Atlanta, and just all around great people. This is a must-do in Napa. We loved Chateau Montelena and I can't wait to tell you more in an extended post!

2:00 PM: Nickel & Nickel.
Every trip needs a good story... and have I got one for you. Let me just say that the experience started out with us being locked out by the intricate gate system they have to keep visitors away who don't have appointments (but their phone system doesn't work well so even if you have an appointment you may still be out of luck). Very welcoming, no? Instead of a tasting, there was a regimented tour of the grounds, which you are required to complete before you taste.

The tour was long and although we go cool pics of people destemming grapes as they came in from the vineyard, it seems like they really wanted to show you how much money they invested in the property so then they could justify the price they charge for middling wines that try way too hard to be different. Of course, I will share all details on this very un-Wine For Normal People experience next week. Let's say I will not be making a return trip there!

3:45 PM (we got trapped in cellar of Nickel & Nickel in a dark room tasting boring Cabs so we were late!): Darioush.

What an awesome way to finish our day in Napa. Here's the deal with Darioush -- the facade of the building is a Persian themed palace and it looks a little out of place in Napa and almost comical to some people, but once you know the wines and know the story, you love it all for what it is.

Quickly, Darioush Kaledhi fled Iran in the late 70s, started over in LA by establishing a chain of value supermarkets. He made it and invested in Napa and winemaking, which had been his life-long passion. He built a facade on top of another winery in the 90s, and it reflects his culture and his dream.
If you step inside you'll want to stay a while. The winery is the most welcoming place in Napa and encourages you to hang out for a while and enjoy the wines. The staff was unbelievable, but like the few times I've been there before, I was struck again by how great the wines are. From the Viognier (really rare for Napa, this aromatic white that's native to the Rhone Valley is usually made in the Central Coast of California) to the unbelievable Merlot (my favorite) to the Cabernet Sauvignon (my dad's favorite!) we were so impressed with the consistency, quality, and depth of the wine. And our "tour guide" of the wines, Gregory, was kind, knowledgeable, and fun.

Thanks to the readers that reminded me to head back to Darioush. I can't wait to elaborate and tell you more about them. It's a special place.

So that was it for Napa. I usually like to get in 5 wineries per day, but when you have appointments, it's a little tight....that's why we only have 1 today! We're hitting Santa Rosa for Siduri (great Pinot Noir) and then we are going to take our power-steeringless Hyundai and hit the Dry Creek Valley for some fun tasting at old and new spots!

I'll update you tomorrow and on Facebook and Twitter to share how things are panning out!