Friday Wine Tasting... Destination Napa, Provenance and Hewitt Vineyards

Every night this the view on our drive back to the hotel.

As I still continue to recap our trip out to wine country, Napa and Sonoma Valleys, I am excited to share with you Provenance Vineyards and Hewitt Vineyards. We really enjoyed our tasting experience and the wealth of knowledge provided by the sales associates in the tasting room. And thanks to our friend Scott (who works for Diageo), we were able to taste through their entire collection of wines as well as some spectacular wines produced by Hewitt Vineyard, who shares the tasting room at Provenance currently. The tasting room was simple yet striking with wood floors made of old barrels. They don't require an appointment but in busier months it is recommended.

As we were leaving the tasting room at Provenance the most spectacular rainbow stretched across the sky in what was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. A full rainbow arching across the acres of vines as the sun reemerged through it. Truly breathtaking! Being out in California reminded me to enjoy the simple things, which just happen to be all around us.

About the wines:

Provenance Vineyards

Philosophy: Our goal is to showcase the distinctiveness of Napa Valley's best growing areas. Great wines start in the vineyard, so we've selected top vineyards and intervene as little as possible during the winemaking process. We gently guide the grapes into wine, striving to bring out the personality, complexity and uniqueness of each vineyard and vintage. Provenance wines offer a balance of elegance and substance with deep, intense flavors that reflect the vineyards where the grapes were grown. We craft these age-worthy wines to be approachable upon release to the public.

My favorite and one that came back with us in our case was the 2005 Beckstoffer Las Amigas Merlot. It is a fantastic wine! And what we loved is that we can drink it now and don't have to wait for it to age another 5 years.

Hewitt Vineyards

Philosophy: Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a single-vineyard, limited-edition wine that highlights the character of our estate without overwhelming it. We harvest the grapes at peak maturity, ferment them for optimal extraction, age them slowly in new French oak and bottle without filtration. The resulting wine has deep black cherry and currant fruit complemented by classic Rutherford expression of cocoa, cedar and black olive. Impressive and elegant, Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon may be enjoyed in its youth or savored after years in the cellar.

Their current vintage is the 2006 Rutherford, Napa Valley Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a really special bottle of wine.

92 Points
Intense and full-blown, rich and concentrated, with a rustic, earthy edge to the dried currant, sage and underbrush notes. The depth and dimension of the flavors are cloaked in chewy tannins, requiring time to unfold. Best from 2010 through 2016.
Wine Spectator - August 5, 2009

Friday Wine Tasting... Destination Napa Far Niente

Far Niente Winery

Absolutely gorgeous grounds! The color of the tulips was amazing!Welcome Sign that greeted us on arrival

The Wine Cellar all French Oak The Owners' fun toys, A garage full of cars!My Dream Ride! Personal Wine Tasting to End the Tour

Sorry for the delay in getting up this week's Friday Wine Tasting. Wedding Season is definitely here and we have been super busy working on a number of exciting projects, upcoming photo shoots, and getting ready for the first wedding of the season next Saturday with Karyn and Paul at Saltwater Farm Vineyard. Can't wait to share their details with you!

Today's Wine Tasting takes us back to Napa Valley to one of my favorites Far Niente. Far Niente was definitely a highlight on the wine tour out in Calinfornia. From the minute we arrived at the gates we were greeted by Peggy, who took us on a very special tour of the winery, a behind the scenes look at what I think are some of the best wines we tried while out there. After an extensive tour of the winery and private look at the Owner's personal garage full of the most amazing cars we headed back inside for a tasting of absolutely delicious artisan cheeses and wines from their portfolio.

Husband and I were so fortunate to be joined on the tour with a really great couple, that happened to also be from Connecticut. We really enjoyed learning about their wine travels, and food experiences in Napa and around the world. They bike while visiting different wineries and restaurants in places that Adam and I dream of visiting. Next on our list thanks to our new friends is Quebec City, and we will also be bringing our bikes.

Far Niente:
"Since our first vintage of Chardonnay in 1979 and the introduction of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982, Far Niente has held true to its philosophy of producing estate wines with a consistent house style.

While many wineries make wine at several different quality levels, Far Niente produces one Chardonnay and one Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest quality possible from our estate vineyards; if the wine doesn’t meet expectations, it doesn’t make the final blend."

Wines: We tasted a fantastic estate Chardonnay, true Burgundian style, crisp and clean really delicious, two different years of their Cabernet Sauvignon, fantastic, and also had the opportunity to taste their late harvest Dolce, phenomenal! It was the kind of dessert wine that you just want to savor on your lips. It was a real treat to get to taste something that special! It was one of the wines we brought back with us, and they say we should wait another 5 years to drink it, which for me will be so difficult knowing how delicious it is! This is a must see on your trip to Napa, but you must call the winery to schedule an appointment in advance. Tell Peggy we say hello if you get there for a visit!

Dolce: "With a classic blend of late harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, Dolce is the only American winery dedicated to producing a single late harvest wine. Dolce has brought forth a wine in every vintage, yet in small, unpredictable quantities; witness to the incredible difficulties presented every year in the effort to make Dolce.

Dolce is an extraordinary wine bred from a combination of sunshine, soil, fog, expertise and dedication; a wondrous luxury, limited by nature to always being a gift of absurd rarity."

Friday Wine Tasting... Destination Napa Valley, Paraduxx

Love at first sight, the entrance to Paraduxx, a yellow house!

I just love the design of their tasting room, would be the perfect spot to host a private event.

During the tasting you have a chance to sit at your own private table and to enjoy at your own pace.

Want to clone that chandelier on a smaller scale for our house, so fabulous!

Napa River runs through their propertyJeff our new friend at Paraduxx gave us a personal tour of the property (and he is originally from CT)
Inside the tank room

Paraduxx was one of my favorite stops on the tour, from the entrance into the yellow house, to the interior design, welcoming staff and warmth of the tasting room, I probably could have stayed there all day sipping wine. During the tasting you have your own private table and can enjoy their portfolio of wines at your own pace paired with artisan cheeses and crackers. It was a really nice change of pace from some of the other tastings where you are standing at the bar surrounded by groups of other people doing the same thing. If you plan to visit be sure to call ahead it is by appointment only. This is a must see!

The wines:
Paraduxx is a unique Napa Valley Red Wine in the tradition of the world's great blends. From the Super Tuscan wines of Italy to the Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon blends of Australia, each great winegrowing region has created its own authentic varietal pairings. Paraduxx's goal is to craft a world-class blend with a distinctly Californian personality by using Zinfandel, a grape synonymous with California, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. From the first vintage, Paraduxx has dedicated itself to finding the optimum blend, using combinations of Merlot and Cabernet Franc to enhance the core pairing of Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Noting the jammy quality of valley Zinfandel, versus the tannic spiciness of mountain grown grapes, Paraduxx also experiments with blending fruit from distinct vineyard lots at differing elevations.

Duckhorn Wine Company originally created Paraduxx to allow its winemakers the opportunity to explore other styles without detracting from Duckhorn Vineyards' focus on Bordeaux varietals.

Our Favorite:
In the land where Cab is King and the focus is on Bordeaux varietals, I love that the winemaker at Paraduxx is doing something different. Mastering the art of blending Zinfandel with Cab Suavignon, Cab Franc, and Merlot he is crafting some incredible wines. As the winemaker for Paraduxx, David Marchesi is committed to the simple, yet bold idea that the Napa Valley-one of the great winegrowing regions of the world-is capable of producing a truly exceptional blend, with a uniquely Californian personality.

We selected the 2006 Canvasback Napa Valley Red, as the wine to travel back with us to CT. It is absolutely fabulous!

2006 Canvasback

Comments from the Winemaker

Crafted around a core of Syrah and Grenache, this wine offers a broad, beautifully balanced palate, fresh fruit notes and a silky texture. The Syrah dominates the aromatics with layers of blackberry, black pepper, licorice, currant and subtle earth. The mid-palate reveals juicy Grenache elements complemented by soft, integrated tannins with oak-inspired hints of cherry cola and vanilla. Ripe and intense, this layered blend also reveals sophisticated touches of black tea, orange peel, cinnamon and sage, leading to a savory finish.

Varietal Content

56% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 2% Carignane, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon