Wine Blog » Napa Valley

Ice Wine – The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley: Where to Eat, Cook, and Shop in the Wine Country Plus 50 Irresistible Recipes

Wineguy — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:11 +0000

SUPERMARKET SOMMELIER: A look at some new releases in the wine world
I had the privilege to taste a pre-release bottle this past August and have to rate it A+! Crimson and Clover upholds Concannon describes the wine, “as having the aroma of currants, cloves and vanilla, the fruit flavors of black berry

Eating Italian: Artichoke Hearts and Pancetta cooked with white wine
With joblessness and homelessness at such high rates hunger is up as well Cook as directed and a buttery wine flavor appetizer to serve on crackers is made. In a skillet warm olive oil on low heat, add wine and cook off alcohol for about 3 minutes

The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley: Where to Eat, Cook, and Shop in the Wine Country Plus 50 Irresistible Recipes
This is the first of its kind: an insider’s food guide to that gourmand’s paradise, the Napa Valley. Author and longtime resident Lori Lyn Narlock goes behind the scenes to discover where chefs shop, the best places to take a cooking class, or where to get a grapeseed oil massage. With complete details on the where, when, how, and how much, plus dozens of artful black-and-white photographs, this indispensible guide for food lovers even includes 50 recipes honoring the region’s local specialties. It’s a mouthwatering roster of the best that Napa has to offer.

Customer Review: Don’t go to Napa without this book!
Have been to Napa many times – but was unaware of the many gems this book uncovers – an incredible and fun resource for the food and wine lover! I will be seeking out these finds in the future! Highly recommended.

Customer Review: Great overview of Napa
This book covers all the areas I was interested in learning about before our trip to Napa Valley. The reviews seem unbiased and thoughtful. We had visited Napa 18 years ago and while we already had a few ideas, reservations, etc., this guide gave us even more places to consider. I’ve “earmarked” so many pages and even took this guide with us. It also includes maps, addresses and phone numbers and/or websites. Some good recipes are in the back. A good companion guide.

Make Wine – Napa Valley & Sonoma: Heart of the California Wine Country

Wineguy — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:00:15 +0000

Napa Valley & Sonoma: Heart of the California Wine Country
This award-winning book takes the reader through the breathtaking vineyards and quaint charm of California’s renowned wine region. A listing of wineries and tasting rooms is included, along with reproductions of the region’s legendary wine labels.

Customer Review: Excellent introduction to Napa Valley/Sonoma – wine country!
This is an excellent overview of the heart of California wine country, Napa Valley & Sonoma. Loaded with lush photography and insight into the tradition of winemaking, the author takes another leap and provides you with fine dining and lodging selections in the areas as well. I especially liked the pictures of all of the labels and listings at the end of the book of all of the wineries from this area. This allows you to date and check off when you sampled that particular bottle as well as motivate the pursuit to sample all that these wineries have to offer. If you are planning a vacation to Napa or Sonoma, this is a must have.

Customer Review: Everything you need for a great weekend!
We picked up a copy of this book last month for us to use on a weekend away in the wine country. Now we have bought several more for gifts to give for Christmas, and our copy sits on our coffee table at home. The author has captured all I needed to know about Napa and Sonoma, wihtout getting to bogged down in details/history. There are recommendations on where to eat, sleep, things to do, the history of the wine industry, how wine is made, and stunning pictures. With 15 minutes you can get so much info you wish there were more coffee table books with this much substance and this well written, with up to date info, but not skimping on the glorious photos.

Bar Wine – The Geography of Wine: How Landscapes, Cultures, Terroir, and the Weather Make a Good Drop

Wineguy — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:00:15 +0000

The Geography of Wine: How Landscapes, Cultures, Terroir, and the Weather Make a Good Drop
Wine is more than taste, smell, and appearance???it is a reflection of a place and its people. Why is Bordeaux a great place for red wines? Why do some places produce Rieslings and others produce Chardonnay? A fun and fascinating examination of terroir (the French word for the geography of a vineyard) this book takes connoisseurs???and potential connoisseurs???on a tour of wine regions, and explains the principles geographers use to understand the critical factors that make up the ???wine character??? of a place. From the Loire Valley to Napa Valley, Madeira to South Africa, Australia to Chile, The Geography of Wine is an entertaining and informative introduction to viticulture for worldly wine lovers everywhere.

Bar Wine – Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking

Wineguy — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:00:25 +0000

Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking
Wine & Philosophy offers a collection of essays which explore a range of philosophical topics related to food; it joins Food & Philosophy and Beer & Philosophy in in the “Epicurean Trilogy.” Essays are organized thematically and written by philosophers, wine writers, and winemakers.

Chapters include, “The Art & Culture of Wine”; “Tasting & Talking about Wine”; “Wine & Its Critics”; “The Beauty of Wine”; “The Metaphysics of Wine”; and “The Politics & Economics of Wine”
Essays are accessible to a general audience while at the same time covering some serious philosophical ground
Incorporates traditional areas of philosophical study, including philosophy of language, philosophy of perception, aesthetics, metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy
A great complimentary text to any guided-tour visit to the Napa Valley or other wineries

Customer Review: Sure to make your wine tasting experiences memorable…
First of all, this volume is easier to access than ‘Questions of Taste’ edited by Barry C. Smith. The essays in this volume range in difficulty – although the majority are relatively straight-forward without resorting to philosophical arguments and meanderings. In ‘Questions of Taste’, the focus was primarily on aesthetics, our use of wine vocabulary, and subjectivity vs. objectivity and meant for a philosophically-minded audience. In ‘Wine & Philosophy’ there is a wider range of topics. Some of the essays include:

‘Wine in Ancient Greece: Some Platonist Ponderings’ – Harold Tarrant – a look at the early history of wine in Greek society, focusing on its importance to the writings to Greek poets and philosophers.

‘On and Off the Wagon: Wine and the American Character’ – Jonathon Alsop – a brief history of wine in American life, examining the impact of Prohibition and the film ‘Sideways’.

‘In Vino Sanitas’ – Frederick Adolf Paola – an accessible essay about the health benefits of wine

And my two personal favourite essays:
‘The Soul of Wine: Digging for Meaning’ – Randall Grahm and ‘Experiencing Wine: Why Critics Mess Up (Some of the Time)’ Jamie Goode – both entertaining and informative, the former focusing on what cannot be criticized in wine analysis and what many of us surely feel when drinking a great bottle of wine ‘soul’ – the latter essay taking a look at the far-from-perfect world of wine criticism.

This volume offers a great deal more to a wider range of readers. The only essay I found the least interesting (perhaps because I am a Canadian) is ‘Shipping Across State Lines: Wine and the Law’ – Drew Massey. It’s not something I am too concerned about but American readers will certainly find it fascinating as to the difficulties of shipping wine across some state lines.

For those readers who want a pleasant, philosophical and at times, challenging read (three essays, I will admit are a bit heavier in philosophical ideas but well worth the effort), I highly recommend this book. There is enough here to interest readers with varying levels of wine knowledge and appreciation which makes it highly approachable and highly enjoyable.

Customer Review: Excellent!
This book provides an excellent overview of the enjoyment and the evaluation of wine, as well as discussion of the philosophical issues surrounding these areas. It combines experts from philosophy, wine tasting and the wine industry. Not only are the essays informative and thought-provoking, but moreover they are enjoyable to read! A great volume!

Best Wine – Wine on Tuesdays: Be a Serious Wine Drinker without Taking Wine Too Seriously

Wineguy — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 02:00:16 +0000

Pot Farmer Joins Farm Bureau – msnbc.com
The Napa Valley is legendary for its rolling vineyards and wine grapes, guided by some of the world’s greenest thumbs. Crane Carter owns one of those green thumbs. Only he doesn’t grow grapes with it. He grows marijuana. Carter scampered through the

Cheers! NY hands out most coveted wine awards – Newsday
Quick ReadCheers! Martha Clara Vineyards, Lamoreaux Landing are big winners at annual NY wine awards (AP) — Martha Clara Vineyards was awarded the coveted Governor’s Cup on Tuesday for best New York state wine — a 2010 Riesling from the North Fork of

Wine on Tuesdays: Be a Serious Wine Drinker without Taking Wine Too Seriously

Wine on Tuesdays focuses on the basics of wine so readers can feel comfortable buying, ordering, and drinking it, and on helping readers relax around wine and integrate it into everyday life.

Americans have uncorked a new enthusiasm for wine. For the generations of Americans who want wine to be a regular part of their lives, Wine on Tuesdays eschews the esoteric language of oenology for practical guidance, humorously written from the perspective of wine lovers rather than wine pedants. Wine on Tuesdays doesn’t focus on number ratings, “big names,” or five different ways to describe the taste of a Cabernet. Instead, it guides wine novices and experts alike through the basics of enjoying wine-from developing a palate to understanding food pairings-so that a once-in-awhile indulgence becomes a regularly rewarding pursuit.

Customer Review: Finally a non-snobby wine book
I love wine, but I know nearly nothing about it. I mean, I know red vs white and I know I generally like cabernet. That’s the extent of my wine knowledge… until very recently when I read Wine on Tuesdays. First things first: Deb is a colleague. I say that upfront because I hate reading amazon reviews that are obviously written by friends of an author who are trying not to appear as if they are friends. I always know the “this is the best book I’ve ever read” lines come from friends and family though. So, I’m not trying to do a cover up here. I love Deb, but I wouldn’t review her book unless it was good… and it is.

Deb and Keith found a way to educate me about all things wine without making me feel stupid (and it’s easy to make me feel stupid about wine because I actually AM stupid about wine). I especially valued their discussion about French wine because I generally get nervous at the wine store whenever I pick up a bottle of the French stuff. I never can figure out the label… it’s a complete crap shoot regarding what to buy. I usually do it with an eeny meany miney moe. Half the time, I can’t even figure out if it’s a French red or a French white. So I generally stick with Napa wines instead. But Deb and Keith explain all wine labels, and then even explain why French labels are so confusing! They break wines into different grape varieties, and, among each variety, give best picks for three categories: 1) affordable every day wines, 2) higher end Friday night wines 3) super expensive wines that we all dream of tasting but few of us can actually afford.

They also break down those descriptions about the taste of wine that often make me laugh. Like mineral. What? Well, duh. I now know that a mineral wine tastes like rocks.

They also enlightened me as to how to taste wine. That was helpful because I often get nervous when a waiter is staring me down, waiting for me to take that first sip. I learned about which wines should breathe and why. I also learned why some wines taste better as you drink them. I always thought it was because I was getting drunker and less picky about the taste, but there’s a scientific reason for this phenomenon!

From how to pair wine with food to what type of glass to use, they’ve covered all of the confusing bases about wine. I enjoyed the book so much that it’s now in my purse, so I can consult it at the wine store and when dining out. Oh, yeah, another nice feature of the book: it’s small enough to fit in your standard Mom-sized purse.

Best Wine – Murder Uncorked (A Wine Lover’s Mystery)

Wineguy — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:00:11 +0000

Murder Uncorked (A Wine Lover’s Mystery)
The murder of a top winemaker sours Nikki Sands’s new job on a Napa Valley vineyard.

Customer Review: good first book in the series, but
I liked the character, Nikki Sands, former actress wannabe, now “girl detective” and I thought the writing was crisp, the wine and food commentary great. So, what didn’t I like – I thought the entire presumption that this character would get so involved in such a dangerous situation in which she had no investment just too far-fetched. I realize that the plot’s purpose was solely to introduce the characters for the series. I am not convinced that is enough, but the book’s attributes are enough to coerce me to read the next book in the series.

Customer Review: A Delicious Read
Nikki Sands is having a day…well, perhaps just a moment, but that one moment is changing everything for her. With one little slip, she finds herself thrown out of one situation and power-punched into another.

The entry of a very handsome man in her life is making a real mess of things and if her topsy-turvy feelings aren’t enough, now she’d finding dead bodies and fighting for her own life.

Michele Scott has written a delectable tale of intrigue and betrayal in Murder Uncorked, book one in the Wine Lover’s Mystery series. The characters are brilliantly and oddly portrayed, and best of all, the mystery is a real corker. I am actually looking forward to trying some of the recipes she has included.

Wine gift – The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty

Wineguy — Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:09 +0000

The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty
The New York Times bestseller, now in paperback: a scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that built—and then lost—a global wine empire Set in California’s lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, The House of Mondavi is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert Mondavi Corp.’s twenty-first-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune, award-winning journalist Julia Flynn Siler brings to life both the place and the people in this riveting family drama. A meticulously reported narrative based on more than five hundred hours of interviews, The House of Mondavi is a modern classic.

Customer Review: tess’s review of House of Mondavi
Anyone that is big into Wine and has been to Napa knows Mondavi Winery is one of the biggest player in the Valley. It was very interesting to read how the winery came about and the split up of the family….Charles Krug winery.

Customer Review: Family dynamics for all to see
An interesting in-depth review of a famous family, from success to downfall. This book navigates the ascendacy of this dynasty to the top of the California wine industry, hindered by the breakdown of personal relations and the final fiasco of the business. Sad, but fascinating.

Wine gift – Wine Country Savory Assortment

Wineguy — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:00:08 +0000

Female-breadwinner model: how to make the most of it – Reuters
Here’s how to make the most of it. Enjoy the cash over coffee, instead of at night, over wine. Separate some money. It’s good for each partner to have a separate checking account and some money that’s theirs alone, says Krueg. If nothing else, this

Wine Country Savory Assortment
This savory assortment was an instant Wine Country favorite. Roasted garlic, applewurst and Italian beef salamis, several kinds of mustard including Napa Valley Mustard Company stone ground mustard, Sierra Nevada spicy porter mustard and Rhinegeld German white wine mustard, sesame crackers, asiago cheese spread, mozzarella cheese swirls, chipotle almonds, cranberry almond crunch, Otis and Betty’s snack mix and Nonni’s twice-baked roasted garlic crackers fill this basket. Arrives ready to slice, serve and enjoy with a gourmet cutting board and knife set. Gift Size: 19″ x 9″ x 10″ – Item 570

Store Wine – Mille Lacs Gourmet Foods Wine Bottle Tray Gift Set

Wineguy — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:00:22 +0000

Cleveland-area wine and beer tasting event – Plain Dealer

Salon

Cleveland-area wine and beer tasting event
Plain Dealer
The Fine Wine & Tobacco, 26179 Detroit Road, Westlake, presents seven wines from Napa Valley from 7 to 9 pm Saturday. Cost: $20 (includes appetizers). …
Local food happeningsDaytona Beach News-Journal
Make a wine pro jealous: Have a tasting at homeSalon

all 8 news articles »

Mille Lacs Gourmet Foods Wine Bottle Tray Gift Set

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers: Preserving Napa For Generations To Come

Wineguy — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:00:21 +0000

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers: Preserving Napa For Generations To Come

Submitted By: Hugh Parker

Blessed with fertile soil ideal for growing grapes, the Napa Valley has blossomed into one of the world?s foremost centers of wine production. The vast majority of land used for agriculture is devoted to producing grapes. With such a lack of diversification, farmers have, quite literally, put all of their grapes into one basket. The past 30 years have seen numerous outbreaks of disease in the Valley, to the detriment of every vineyard. Today, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers are an organization dedicated to educating wineries and the public of sustainable practices that will ensure that Napa remains a viable region for wine and grape production.

The first major outbreak of disease came in the late 19th century with the spread of the Phylloxera root louse. This pest spread throughout the Valley, killing many vines. Georges de Latour, a French vintner, brought knowledge of the terrible insect to Napa, along with a supply of rootstock that was highly resistant. By the time Prohibition was repealed in 1933, production had risen to a total of over one million gallons per year.

Unfortunately, time often has the effect of making people forget, and in 1983, another outbreak of Phylloxera caught Napa by surprise. Taking a proactive stance, many growers planted new rootstock even more resistant to the pest, and by the late 1990?s approximately 75% of vineyards planted grapes less susceptible to Phylloxera. Key to this movement was the involvement of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers. Mobilizing to coordinate an effort to inform and educate vineyard owners, the NVG responded to the outbreak in fine form.

Today, the Napa Valley Winegrowers continues to lead the effort against pest and disease. Various new pests including the vine mealy bug, the glassy winged sharpshooter, and the light brown apple moth all threaten Napa?s vineyards. The NVG runs educational programs for vintners, along with conducting research. While growing grapes for fine wine might be an art, preventing pests from ravaging through vineyards certainly constitutes a science, and the NVG is at the forefront.

The Napa Valley Winegrowers also collaborates with the local and state governments as well as other private organizations to promote environmentally sustainable agriculture. Many of these undertakings fall under the Napa Green program. More than 22,000 acres of Napa Valley currently participate, with over half of that land area consisting of active vineyards. Napa Green seeks to assess the condition of the lands under its supervision, and subsequently act to prevent erosion, pest infestation, and loss of water quality, among other issues. Most of the premier Napa vineyards are involved in this program, including Beringer, Kendall Jackson, and the Napa Valley Reserve. In addition, last year the NVG held its first annual wine and grape exposition, with seminars and classes designed to educate vintners.

With vigilant, careful monitoring and action, the Napa Valley can remain one of the premier wine-growing regions in the world. Organizations such as the Napa Valley Winegrowers are vital to promoting the practices that will ensure the viability of Napa for generations to come.

Article Tags: grapes, napa, valley

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