The gorgeous view at Barnett Vineyards on Spring Mountain.
For the past two decades, we’ve been visiting the Napa and Sonoma Valleys almost annually. The two Valleys run parallel, separated by the Mayacamas Mountains in northern California. Both are terrific tourist destinations and among the top wine regions in the United States. While Sonoma is much larger in terms of vineyard area and variety of wines produced, Napa is the better-known region of the two with a world-class reputation built on Cabernet Sauvignon. For years, wine enthusiasts have debated the difference between the Cabernets produced on the Valley floor versus those produced from fruit higher up on the mountainsides.
The term “cult cab” gained great currency in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was really a California phenomenon, though certainly other regions have their iconic wines. The California cult wines were predominately Cabernet Sauvignon and mostly came from Napa. The cult wines were so-named because of a nearly fanatical group of wealthy collectors who would pay huge prices to obtain bottles in a cult-like devotion to a group of small, quality-focused wineries.
Our latest Video AdVINEture features highlights from our visit last year to the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. We were fortunate to re-visit some favourites such as Talisman Wines, Laurel Glen Vineyard, and St. Francis Vineyards, along with first-time visits to Smith-Madrone, Grgich Hills, and Barnett Vineyards. While we wait for travel to be opened up again, we hope you’ll enjoy this montage of winemaker clips from a region we look forward to returning to as soon as possible!
Miljenko “Mike” Grgich [photo courtesy of Grgich.com]
May 24, 1976 is a date forever ingrained in the history of California’s wine industry. No one could have predicted how the outcome of one wine competition in Paris would cause such reverberations across the world. The “Judgement of Paris” not only put Napa Valley on the world wine map, it also marked the arrival of Croatian-born Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, the winemaker behind the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that earned the highest score of the white wines. More than 40 years since that historic tasting, 96-year-old Mike has ensured that his legacy of producing world-class wine continues at Grgich Hills Estate through his daughter Violet (President) and nephew Ivo Jeramaz (Winemaker/VP Vineyards & Production).
One of the many great things about being a frequent traveler to wine country is the stunning natural beauty that often accompanies the setting. Spring Mountain, with its undisturbed natural forests, steep vineyards and stunning views of the Napa Valley laying more than a thousand feet below is one of the more beautiful and picturesque settings we have been to. Smith-Madrone occupies a gorgeous spot high up these hills on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains where they make wines every bit as beautiful as their site.
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