Exploring Wine: Hess Collection Chardonnay

Hess Collection, Chardonnay, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, 2010 $35

My rating for this bottle? I would drink the whole thing.

I first tried this chardonnay at the winery out in Napa Valley last July with my friend Katie. The experience was not at all what I expected after hearing what a sh*tshow the Napa scene had become. I was expecting huge tasting rooms with hoards of tourists fighting their way to the bar and demanding larger pours, drinking to get drunk. Instead, after a tour of the facilities and (fabulous) contemporary art collection on Hess Collection grounds, we had the pleasure of our first wine tasting in Napa in a quiet, almost private bar. Our guide, Ward, was knowledgeable and seemed to be having fun with Katie and I as we learned and tasted. I had my wine tasting notebook in hand and enjoyed a relaxing three days with my best friend. We had such a great experience that we signed up for their wine club (you can read more about the wine club here.) 

My tasting notes from that day read, "Smooth, slightly salty, pear(?), slight minerality, honey sweetness, usual chardonnay buttery-ness almost undetectable. Ward recommends pairing with oysters." This was one of Katie's favorite from our first stop. I purchased a second bottle at the time. Gman and I opened it a few weeks ago. It was fun to take notes and compare then to the ones from last summer (without looking at the earlier notes). Here's what Gman and I thought about it: straw color, viscus, smells of lemon and honeysuckle, slight alcohol. Tastes honey, bright light mouthfeel, creamy and buttery - what a chardonnay should be. We drank it with salad for dinner.

How interesting that the buttery flavor came out when we opened the bottle 10 months later. Or maybe I'm a more careful taster now? I am curious to see how this wine would develop with more time. I should have bought more than one bottle! Do you notice if your favorite wine changes over time?

Exploring Wine: Syrah

Cakebread Cellars, Syrah, Napa Valley, 2009 $55

My rating for this bottle? I would drink the whole thing.

The last time I had a Syrah was in college. I remember it like yesterday (oh, the college days...) - every Thursday night my roommate, Jacqueline, and I would each buy a bottle of Syrah (also known as Shiraz in Australia where this grape is widely grown) and various snacks to snuggle up on the couch with and watch the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy. This was when Grey's was good, like the first season. 

At the time, we sourced our wine from the grocery store or 7Eleven and just grabbed whatever was less than $10. The Syrah was heavy, spicy, bold, with no subtleties or relief from the full on tannin attack. I didn't like it very much and it certainly didn't pair well with my chocolate chip cookies or brie and crackers. I since swore off Syrah and because obsessed with Malbecs, then Bordeaux blends. 

Over the summer I went to Napa Valley and discovered a new love for Syrah. It was this bottle of Cakebread that opened new doors. You'll first notice an inky blackish-red color, then a complex flavor of spices and juicy fruit. Most noticeable to me was the taste of plum and blackberry similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon but with a lot more depth than what I had previously experienced. I wrote in my tasting notes "warm and sexy" to describe drinking this wine. 

It turns out the key to drinking a Syrah with more depth of flavor and a balanced palate is to buy one that has aged slightly. The wines we were drinking in college were fresh out of the barrel and aging this wine rounds it out and softens those harsh tannins.

Exploring Wine: a wine club

It might seem like I've taken a bit of a wine writing hiatus on the blog recently. But this is because I have been very busy consuming it. While in Napa Valley over the summer, my girlfriend Katie and I decided to join our first wine club. We signed up to be members of Hess Collection's Wine Club where we receive four shipments a year of their most delicious (and exclusive) wines. People who live near the winery also enjoy free tastings and visits with friends to the winery as well as special events. Each shipment is around $100 and includes 3 bottles with tasting, growing conditions, and other notes important to oenophiles.  This means each bottle is in the $30-40 price range, which is a little higher than the $20 limit I set for myself for this wine series. However, I’ve enjoyed each of the wines so far, much more than the crapshoot of buying randoms at the grocery store. I haven't even gone shopping for wine since September!

I found the notes to be very helpful in learning more about the wine growing process and how that affects what I'm tasting. Also, the descriptions are pretty accurate (and not over-selling the wine), making it difficult to add anything to my tasting notes besides, "Oh man, that was f*&^ing delicious." I should also note that in order to fit this membership into my budget, I quit the gym. A lady needs to have priorities.

After receiving our first shipment Katie and I exchanged text messages on a Friday night to discuss our thoughts. It went something like this:

J: Opening the Malbec tonight

K: That one is so good!

J: It takes exactly like the description! Seriously in my top 20 wines of the last few years

K: Are you pairing it with Papa Johns? ;)

J: Actually, I am. Haha

K: HAHAHAHA

J: I forgot you did too, last week! I’m dying over here.

K: sooo good

Exploring Wine: Napa Valley AVA

Map created by me and is not to scale

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous wine area in the United States. It's also one of the oldest areas, first grape vines planted in the 1860s, and most saturated with over 300 wineries. You can't drive more than a few minutes down St Helena Highway (the main drag) without being overwhelmed with options. It's like oenophile Mecca. So I went there and here's what I learned.

Napa Valley is flanked by mountain ranges on two sides, San Francisco Bay on the South, and Mount St. Helena to the north. The area is a historically suitable climate for farming and the culture there is still focused on the land. Wine making took off in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries but between prohibition and a deadly outbreak of phylloxera (a plant disease which can infect grape vines) the industry came to almost a complete halt. By the 1960s and 70s though, the vineyards started growing again and attracted many entrepreneurial minded businessmen, eccentrics, and wine lovers, including Robert Mondavi. Now the industry is thriving and is one of the go-to destinations for wine lovers around the world. Those lucky enough to live in Napa full time enjoy a comfortable outdoorsy lifestyle that revolves around farming, bocci ball, and drinking wine. There is little rain, lots of sun, and cool evenings. I didn't want to leave! 

When people talk about wine from Napa Valley they are taking the Napa Valley Appellation or AVA. An appellation is simply a geographic growing region that is governed by rules that are overseen by a government body. These guidelines are generally used to produce better quality wines and regulate the industry standards. In France, the appellation system includes rankings but in the United States the American Viticulture Areas or AVA only define growing regions. 

You can tell where the wine in your bottle was grown based on the AVA labeling. For instance, in order for a bottle to say "Napa Valley" on it, 85% of the grapes must come from the Napa Valley AVA (this is true throughout the country). If a bottle says "California" then 100% of the grapes must come from California, but not necessarily a particular AVA. There is a lot of back and forth and some controversy surrounding the labeling laws, but as a consumer I find them helpful when I'm trying to decide what to purchase at the store.

All the mountains and valleys create a bunch of little microclimates, which give Napa the ability to be a suitable growing area for many different types of grapes. However, since this is an overview, when you are ordering wine at a restaurant or choosing at the store, you can't go wrong with a cabernet sauvignon or a chardonnay. These are the two most widely planted and successfully grown grapes in the Napa Valley. When I was there I also tasted a few very nice sauvignon blancs, merlots, zinfandels, pinot noirs, and syrahs that I really enjoyed. So if you are feeling adventurous, try one of those too. 


Here is a list of the sub appellations in Napa, which correlates to the map above. I'll be referring to the map when I talk about more specific wineries and varietals in the weeks to come.
1. Calistoga
2. Diamond Mountain District
3. Howell Mountain
4. Spring Mountain District
5. St. Helena
6. Chiles Valley District
7. Rutherford
8. Oakville
9. Mount Veeder
10. Yountville
11. Oak Knoll District
12. Stags Leap District
13. Atlas Peak
14. Los Carneros
15. Wild Horse Valley
16. Coombsville

Tips to Travel By: Flying with your wine

While in Napa Valley, it was difficult not to bring home some of the fabulous wine my girlfriend and I had the pleasure of sampling. We dreamed of a build your own six pack type of thing where we could bring home a bottle from each place we visited. However, it seemed like our options were to buy a case or half case from each winery or bring home a bottle or two in checked luggage. That is until we met our tour guide, Matt (if I recall correctly), at Cakebread Cellars who introduced us to this awesome wine shipper.

It costs about $7 for a six pack (many of the wineries offer them for sale) and you can choose whatever six bottles your heart desires. Then, when you get to the airport check the box as your checked baggage and tape the top flat. The wine will get to your destination safely with you so no need to wait for it to be shipped and the cost is slightly less (or a lot less depending on where you are going and if you have to pay a checked bag fee).

We were hesitant about checking the boxes. Matt reassured us that the owner of their winery does it all the time! Heck, he must know what he's doing, right? Neither of us had any issues checking the boxes and they arrived in tack. Hooray for a bit of travel that's hassle free!