Texan Magazine
By Jim Peterson
Wine Enthusiast & Instagram Wine Influencer
I last visited Napa Valley in 1989. Therefore, my visit last month was long overdue. Since there are over 450 wineries in Napa Valley along a 30-mile span, I had to decide on an approach early in my trip planning.
For a trip like this, I believe the optimal day is to book a morning tasting, break for lunch, and then book a maximum of two afternoon tastings. It also helps to group the day’s tastings in a localized area. In my short visit, I included a mix of older and newer wineries to experience a broader spectrum of all that Napa Valley offers.
How did I do?
Join me on my journey and see how it turned out.
THE WINERIES
PAUL HOBBS WINERY
Paul Hobbs is a legend of sorts in Napa Valley as he was on the winemaking team for the very first bottling of the iconic Opus One in 1979.
He left Mondavi in 1984 for Simi and eventually started his own winery with the 1991 vintage. Having quite the established network, his lineup of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon includes some of the most sought after (and exclusive) vineyards. Aside from Napa stalwarts, he also makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma under the Paul Hobbs label. I should note he owns eight wineries in all, most recently acquiring a winery in the Finger Lakes wine region in upstate New York.
The Paul Hobbs tasting room is sleek and modern, situated within the estate vineyards near the city of Sebastopol in Sonoma County. We were greeted with a glass of the Paul Hobbs 2017 Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine to sip through the introductions. At the table our wine glasses were perfectly arranged and a tempting charcuterie board of cheese, sausage, and crackers was served to help refresh the palate and highlight various aspects of the wines. Our host even took care to briefly decant each wine before serving it. Between that, the fine stemware, and the stunning vineyard views it became impossible to resist getting caught up in the moment.
We started our tasting with two 2020 Sonoma Chardonnays, a “Richard Dinner Vineyard” from Sonoma Mountain and the “Ross Station” from Russian River Valley, wrapping up the Sonoma wines with a 2020 Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast “Cleary Estate” vineyard.
The first Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was the 2019 Coombsville (a blend of vineyards from the Coombsville AVA), then we tasted the 2019 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, one of those exclusive vineyards mentioned above.
I enjoyed all the wines, but the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane is simply one of the best young Cabernets I have ever tasted.
PARADIGM WINERY
I booked Paradigm because I consider them part of the “old school” Napa crowd. The owner, Ren Harris, was a key figure in the history of Napa Valley from the 1970s onward. He started as a farmer, then bought this estate and slowly remade it into his own vision. Unlike many estates, Paradigm only uses grapes they grow themselves. They control everything. Famed winemaker Heidi Barrett has been crafting Paradigm wines for 32 years. Ren noted, “We are the only original customer of hers left.” Paradigm has never expanded, and they don’t intend to. It’s one of the truest family estate wineries I have ever seen. I even received a handwritten thank you note from Ren’s wife Marilyn after my visit.
The beauty of this tasting was that Ren took the time to sit with us and tell story after story of the early days in Napa. It was beyond fascinating, as if the wines were an afterthought.
It was like no other tasting we had. Make no mistake, the wines are delicious. The Rosé of Merlot is intriguing because these Merlot grapes are grown specifically for this rosé, using a “Vin Gris” method to extract a little color in the pressing. We tasted both the 2019 and 2016 Cabernets – which are classic Napa Cabs. I was dying to taste the Cabernet Franc, so they graciously poured a taste of that too. I loved it!
I must mention the Zinfandel because it is a passion of Ren’s. It harkens back to his youth, making wine in the family basement. It is an understatement to say he loves his Zinfandel. When I casually mentioned I was generally not a great fan of Zinfandel, he immediately said, “Oh, you’re tasting the Zinfandel.” Hah! I admit I enjoyed it very much. It is a wine all Zinfandel lovers should try. As a bonus to wine buyers, their wines have remained reasonably priced given the high quality. These are must-try wines for Napa lovers.
PHAMUS WINES
Pronounced like “famous” this is a new project by Chris Klein, who grew up working at his parents’ winery, Allora Vineyards. Chris and I met through Instagram, and I first tried his wines when I bought a sample pack of five 4-ounce pours. I loved this format, and I wish more wineries did it, because it provides wine lovers an easier way to taste a portfolio without the financial commitment of full bottles. While we had planned to meet for lunch and share some wines, an unexpected conflict prevented this. Luckily, a close friend stepped in to host us for a private tasting at Chris’ home nestled in the hills above Saint Helena. Sitting on the porch overlooking the valley, on a beautiful spring Napa day, we enjoyed six PHAMUS wines.
The wines are fine examples of everything you would expect from Napa Valley, and I enjoy reading the small vignettes about the wine names on the back of the bottle. Chris has gotten creative with wine names like The Host, The Traveler, The Conqueror, The Sister, The Pioneer, and The Instructor. I’m looking forward to following Chris’ progress as he continues to forge his own path in Napa. In addition to PHAMUS, that path now includes his recent acquisition of the boutique Howell Mountain winery, Red Cap Vineyards. Noted winemaker Rudy Zuidema already crafts both wines, so the high quality at Red Cap is certain to continue under Chris’ leadership.
GRGICH HILLS ESTATE
Mike Grgich helped put Napa Valley on the wine map due to the role he played in the infamous “Judgment of Paris” back in 1976, when Napa Valley wines were chosen over French wines in a blind tasting. Mike Grgich was the winemaker behind the U.S. Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena that stole the show. He went on to found Grgich Hills Estate where those same winemaking principles have been applied year after year. Amazingly, Mike is celebrating his 100th birthday this year with many recognizing his enduring legacy.
Like Paradigm, these wines are kind of old school Napa Valley. The tasting room was buzzing with activity when we arrived, but our place was already set with a small tasting menu headlined, “Welcome to the Peterson Party!” We were initially given only one wine glass, and I could see others either consuming or dumping from one wine to the next. I prefer a slower pace, so our host accommodated us when I asked for multiple glasses to sip more slowly and have the chance to revisit a wine as the tasting progressed. Grgich Hills is one of the planned stops on the Napa Valley Wine Train experience, and the single glass approach makes total sense in that context with a strict schedule.
Grgich Hills offers several varietal (i.e. single grape) wines including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and even Petit Verdot.
I really enjoyed the 2020 Paris Tasting Commemorative Chardonnay (a barrel select wine where only the top tasting barrels are used). The Cabernet Sauvignon wines are everything you need in a solid Napa Cab, but I found the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot wines particularly intriguing. If you are new to Napa Valley wines, then Grgich Hills is a great option to start your exploration.
SINEGAL ESTATE
This winery is the brainchild of Jim Sinegal, co-founder of Costco, and his son David Sinegal. They have created a luxury setting at the historic 30-acre Inglewood Estate that blends the visual aspect with tailored aesthetics of a wine life for a truly special experience. I should note the top tier Sinegal Estate wines have the black label with the signature gold key, which happens to be the key that opens the front door to the estate house, dating back to the 1880s. These black label wines are only available to purchase through the estate.
We were greeted with a glass of the delectable 2021 Sonoma-based Grenache rosé.
This is a fantastic rosé! After a casual tour around the property, purposefully redesigned to host member events, we headed into the intimate tasting room where we tried four more wines. The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc is like a burst of fresh grapefruit on the palate, and I could sip this all day long on a hot Texas summer day. The 2021 Spring Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is loaded with dark fruits like black cherry while hints of tobacco and licorice linger on the finish. The two Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Select Series and the 2018 Reserve, are nice choices for collectors who age their Cabernet. Otherwise, decanting these for a few hours is imperative to help the wines realize their potential.
The Sinegal Estate wines are very well made. This visit was made even more special because two of my “wine Instagram” friends who live in Napa were able to join me. It’s a remarkable thing to connect with certain people in the social media space, but meeting them in real life (or IRL as we like to say) can be a rare occurrence. Here at Sinegal, though, the wines and the setting created the perfect circumstance for us to gather where we were all “in our element” as wine influencers. It was a blast.
RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS
We were only in the Napa area for two nights, which meant we had two dinners and two lunches to consider. I will note that I brought my own champagne to both dinners, as most Napa restaurants allow corkage. They typically waive the first corkage fee (usually $25-$35) if you also buy a bottle off their list (which we did). For this trip I brought unique grower champagnes to ensure I was not bringing something from their list. My basic corkage etiquette is to not bring a cheap bottle, and never bring something already on their wine list.
TORC
This is an upscale fine dining establishment with outstanding food and a fascinating wine list. I brought a Champagne Frerejean Frères VV26 Blanc de Blancs to kick off the evening. This was a great pairing for the Deviled Egg appetizers (the best I have ever tasted).
Our selection from the wine list was the 2021 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, which some consider to be the best rosé in the world.
This wine can be hard to find here in the states, so I wasn’t about to pass it up. I knew it would pair perfectly with our entrées, the Diver Scallops with coconut basmati rice and the Duck Breast with mammoth red rock cabbage. As happy as I was with the Tempier rosé, the most fascinating wine selection we saw was on the dessert wine list. There were three Ratafia selections made by three grower Champagne houses we had visited last October. What is Ratafia, you ask? Ratafia is made with the last pressing of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Pinot Meunier, and then fortified by adding grape-based brandy to the must. We ordered a glass of the Champagne Geoffroy Ratafia, and it was perhaps the highlight of the evening.
FARMSTEAD AT LONG MEADOW RANCH
This is a great spot for lunch. The appetizer of Caramelized Beets flavored with chimichurri was amazing. I also enjoyed their steak tartare. We each ordered a glass of their Long Meadow Ranch rosé of Pinot Noir for our meal, but it lacked the crisp acidity needed to pair well with our food. That was the one small detractor to an otherwise delicious lunch.
COLE’S CHOP HOUSE
Our second dinner was in downtown Napa. This was probably our favorite dining experience of the entire trip. The ambiance is superior, and the service was impeccable. I brought the 2011 Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru. This was an astounding pairing for the grilled shrimp cocktail. My friend ordered the Petite Filet, while I got the Veal Chop. This veal chop was the best I had ever tasted. To go with our steaks, I selected a 2018 Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir from Oregon. It was lithe, bright, and immensely enjoyable. Don’t fret, though, if you are a fan of big, bold Napa Valley reds, their list of red wines from Napa Valley is quite extensive.
CHARTER OAK
We chose this charming spot for lunch. It sits directly on the opposite side of the street to Farmstead. We needed just a little wine, so I was happy to find a half bottle of the Bruno Paillaird rosé champagne to sip. As strange as it sounds, the incredible homemade bread with salted whipped butter might have been our favorite food item. We ordered it to accompany the grilled avocado appetizer, but I almost ate the entire loaf myself! My friend had the Chicory Salad while I enjoyed my Spring Trout with marigold pesto. Whether it’s lunch or dinner, I do not think you can go wrong here.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Napa Valley has changed a lot since I last visited over 30 years ago. Most Napa wineries require reservations these days, and I recommend making them in advance of your visit. You can certainly do “speed tasting” and visit several wineries in a day, but I believe you’ll get more out of it with a relaxed schedule of three wineries per day at most. Keep in mind that unless you are an existing wine club member or have other special access, you will likely have to pay for the tastings. However, most wineries will waive the tasting fees with a qualifying wine purchase or if you start a club membership. With the costs for the hotel stay, tasting fees, wine purchases, and meals, your budget can quickly balloon beyond expectations.
I am greatly in favor of a detailed plan with both winery and restaurant reservations to help avoid the disappointment of being turned away. Whether you want to visit your favorite wineries or discover new ones, there are hundreds of opportunities for you to explore. Despite the commercialization that seems to have overtaken Napa Valley, I was thrilled with my return visit. I’m certain you can easily create your own memorable experience you will cherish for years to come. Cheers!
Follow Jim on Instagram, @tx_wine_pilot, for more wine tips and reviews.
Biography:
Jim Peterson is a retired U.S. Air Force officer who mainly flew the A-10 fighter jet. He has ties to the wine business going back over 20 years and is an avid wine collector. His extensive wine knowledge includes travel to many wine regions, tasting many of the world’s top wines, and ongoing personal wine exploration. He has cultivated a large following on his Instagram account, @tx_wine_pilot. He works in marketing now, but you can also find him helping customers on Saturdays at JS Fine Wines in San Antonio, Texas.
