Relic is the label by Mike Herby, one of the Napa Valley winemaking young guns. Mike is also the winemaker for Realm and consulting for Sherwin Family.
This is one of the stop to visit while you are on Spring Mountain, Relic is being housed at Erna Schein (formerly Behrens & Hitchcock). You will find some intriguing Pinots and Syrah, a nice break from the norm on Spring Mountain.
Mi Sueno isn't your typical winery. It's located in an Industrial complex in the South of Napa and your tasting is in the chilled storage area of the warehouse. Despite the unconventional setting, the private tasting that I enjoyed here was extremely well done and informative. Jaime gave us a quick tour of the facility and we settled down at a grand wooden table and the pours began. Jaime is quite the story-teller, weaving together the story of the owner and the winery with the explanation for each of the wines. We tried 11 of their wines that day, with very very generous pours of each. My favorites were their 2009 Cab and the 2011 Valeria, a petit verdot, from their reserve line, Herrera, but I was also fond of the 2009 Chardonnay (not too oaky) and 2009 Pinot Noir. Give them a call or shoot them an email and make sure you stop and visit this place. A "Hidden Gem of Napa Valley"!
Truckee River Winery was established 23 years ago with the vision of sourcing quality grapes, bringing the fruit to Truckee in order to take advantage of the high elevation and cold temperatures to naturally cool the fermentation and slow down the barrel aging process. Thus becoming the highest and coldest winery. Truckee River Winery's focus from the beginning has been to produce handcrafted wines with great structure and finesse. Their award winning Pinot Noir is the winemaker's,Russ Jones, pride and joy.
Confessions of a Winemaker Chef - I always considered winemaking to be “cooking”. Through my entire time as a chef, I wanted to work with the flavors, textures, and aromas of grapes from the California coast. Finally I took the plunge and moved to Napa Valley.
The reds were all fantastic..I really was pleasantly surprised. Their tasting room has a large table that they invite you to sit at, or , you can go outside and sit at those smaller tables, if you choose to.
Wines are fantastic and the people here are passionate, welcoming and knowledgeable. They host a number of fun events and perks for wine club members.
They also are well known for their micro-batch wine making - come make your own wine from start to finish (blending, bottling, labeling) with the experts!
Fred and Ginger, winemaker and owners of Favero Vineyards and Winery, take pride in the production of their fine quality wines. From clearing the rugged and rocky hillside, to hand planting vines, to the precision thinning of fruit and the pulling of leaves for improved circulation, Fred Favero crafts the entire production of Favero Vineyards wines. The result of this exacting vineyard management and careful handling of fruit is wine of extraordinary complexity, power, and finesse.mmGinger brings her talent for design and marketing to the Favero family winery and vineyards.
Mac got into food and wine during his early twenties via his friends and coworkers at Trader Joe's in Southern California. He soon began taking trips up to the Central Coast to just to taste, but quickly found himself volunteering his time on his days off to help out at a number of wineries. After learning the process for a few years and spending more and more time on the Central Coast, Mac was ready to start making wine for himself.
Oreana Winery is known for two things - great wines and fabulous parties. From small batches of Pinot Noir abd sizeable Red Table Wine, Oreana has a wine for everyone. Cellar 205, now Oreana Winery.
The Bucklin's were all born and raised in San Francisco, but spent virtually every weekend and summer on their Grandmother's ranch in Sonoma. In 1976, their mother Anne, a professional landscape gardener, moved to Sonoma when she married Otto Teller. Otto and Anne lived together on Oak Hill Farm where they raised organic flowers and vegetables. In 1981, the Tellers purchased the venerable Old Hill Ranch Vineyard which is adjacent to the farm. Meanwhile, the four Bucklin siblings set off on separate paths across the country pursuing various careers, spouses, and hobgoblins, only to return to the family farm in Sonoma.
It's almost not fair for me to give this place a review-- as there has recently been a change in ownership. The new owner is renovating and updating a majority of the property. The drive up to Michel-Schlumberger is absolutely gorgeous; at least it is in April because it is not directly off the freeway; instead it is through several windy roads, and then through more curvy windy roads. It feels like you've reached some kind of sanctuary or private retreat in the countryside by the time you've arrived.
