UP AND DOWN THE WINE ROADS With George Starke
A COUPLE OF BIG ITEMS: Last Friday, Margrit Mondavi, with giant scissors, cut the ribbon to the grand opening ceremonies for the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science and for the groundbreaking for the second phase of construction of 32,000 square feet of buildings for a teaching and research winery and the Anheuser-Bush Brewing and Food Science Laboratory at UC Davis.
In cutting the ribbon, Margrit said, that “on a scale of one to 10, today is a 20.” The project is the fulfillment of a dream of Robert Mondavi who certainly is the unchallenged philanthropist in the world of wine.
A second big item last week was the opening of the new Silver Oak Cellars winery in Oakville. A devastating fire in 2006 severely damaged the winery. Instead of a tragedy, the fire was viewed as an opportunity to further increase the quality of Silver Oak wines by installing new, state-of-the-art, production facilities, including high-tech, fruit-sorting tables. The stunning new winery is faced with hand-quarried limestone, reclaimed from an 1800s flour mill in Coffeyville, Kansas. The interior walls are woods from the old winery which were retrieved and polished. One wall of the expansive tasting room is made up of bottles from the winery’s library. A small room has been set aside as a mini-museum which contains photographs and artifacts from the early days of the winery. The Silver Oak Winery joins an ever-growing number of spectacular Napa Valley showplace wineries. In conjunction with its opening and, in addition to offering tastings of its current releases, the winery is offering (by appointment only) two tasting programs: a tasting of six verticals of cabernet sauvignons from Silver Oak Napa and/or Silver Oak Alexander Valley wineries; and a food and wine pairing session with foods prepared by resident chef Dominic Orsini.
A third big item last week was the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars harvest celebration. After a reception where guests schmoozed and sipped sauvignon blanc, they filed into the winery’s great room in the caves where a long table was set for a feast of fall foods, accompanied by SLWC 2005 Fay Estate, 2005 SLV Estate, and 2005 Cask 23. David Auerbach, master of about hundred ancient instruments, provided eclectic dining music. As a bonus to the happy afternoon, guests were invited to sing “Happy Birthday” to Warren Winiarski, who will qualify for octogenarian status in a few days.
The gala Bella Notte (a beautiful night) celebration of the contributions of Italian Americans in Napa Valley is scheduled for Sunday at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville. The Belle Notte brochure notes that “Nowhere does Italian-American influence on the arts, food and wine intersect more beautifully than here in Napa Valley.” A few tickets were still available early this week. Call the Lincoln Theater box office at 944-1300. It should be a great evening.
More newz: Janet Fletcher, the Napa Valley’s Cheese Guruess, will lead guests through the complicated world of cheeses at the Alsatian wine and cheese party on Oct. 20 at the Cheese Shop at 2115 Powell St. in Ess Eff. Over 100 pairing possibilities will be offered. Trust Janet to guide you through the wine and cheese pairing thicket.
From Copia comes the announcement that Andrea Robinson, who was heading up its wine program, is leaving to strike out on her own to pursue her interests in marketing wine. A search is on for a replacement.
Speaking of Copia, it will host a “Rieslingfest” this Sunday, Oct. 19. Rieslings have been asleep in the American market for years, but, suddenly consumers have awakened to them and discovered their unique charms. The wine areas of the Mosel and the Rheingau of Germany are homes of the great Rieslings. New-World Rieslings have a very different character, but are lovely wines. Riesling can be made in a dry style, but I believe that the real charm of the variety is in wines that have a little residual sugar, which separates them from the popular white wines: sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot grigio, etc. and offer a different and sometimes, voluptuous, tasting experience.
Charbay, the “Still on the Hill” (the hill being Spring Mountain), is offering “Still House Visits” with tastes of cabernets, pinots, dessert wines, aged ports and its newly released “Cocktail Collection,” Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tasting fees are $20 per person and reservations are required. Call 963-9327.
ABOUT THE FIRE: Huzzah for the firefighters who were able to extinguish the fire in the hills east of St. Helena before it ravaged more of the beauty of our valley.
CABOOSE ITEM: A reminder that this Saturday, Oct. 18, is St. Helena’s Hometown Harvest Festival. Oak Avenue will be blocked off, and the festivities will begin with the annual Pet Parade which is always a crowd pleaser. There will be over 100 arts and crafts under sun (rain?) tents; 15 service clubs will offer tastings of street foods; and 14 wineries will be on hand to slake the crowd’s thirst. See ya there!