February when the mustard plants return to Napa's vineyards it is a perfect time for California wine country explorations. Last month we took a quick trip to Napa Valley. This Spaswinefood enthusiast loves to see mustard plants blooming in the vineyards. I first spotted the plants in Rutherford vineyards. Not only was I inspired to chase down the these awesome blooms, but also after two virtual wine events I was reintroduced to Grgich Hills Estate and Stags' Leap. These sessions prompted me to make quick stops at those Napa Valley wineries. Yes, February the Napa Valley is the perfect time for mustard plants and vineyard explorations.
Mustard Plants in February, Napa Valley © Spaswinefood
A Rutherford Vineyard, Napa Valley © Spaswinefood
It is hard to miss this amazing display of colors in February. I just had to stop and take a closer look.
Grgish Hills Estate
While I was in Rutherford I just had to drop by the Grgish Hills Estate. There is lots of Napa Valley wine history here.Grgish Hills Estate © Spaswinefood
It was Mike Grgich, the winemaker of the iconic Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, who put Napa Valley on the wine map. Yes, the Chardonnay that upset French wine critics at the 1976 Paris Judgement. Grgich in 1977 broke ground for his own Napa Valley winery. This winery is now know as Grgich Hills Estate. Not only would Grgich produce more award winning Chardonnay wines but also, he is well known for award winning Zinfandel.
Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford © Spaswinefood
Croatian and American Flags, Grgich Hills Estate © Spaswinefood
In recent years another Grgich wine story has emerged. A Wine & More article credits Mike Grgich for helping to bring Plavac Mali to international attention. Plavac Mali was first thought to be genetically identical to the Californian widely planted variety Zinfandel. Grgich was the first to note the similarities between Zinfandel and Plavac Mali wines (the wines he knew from his youth on the Dalmatian Coast). When he employed researchers at UC Davis to explore further the findings were interesting. It turned out that the varieties are not identical, but are genetically linked. In fact the testing revealed that Plavac Mali was the offspring of Zinfandel, with the other parent being Dobricic, an ancient variety native to Croatia. Mustard Plants in February, Rutherford © Spaswinefood
A Zinfandel virtual conference, Social Zinstancing Experience, organized by ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) at the end of January certainly enticed me to stop by Grgich Hills Estate. Similarly, just prior to the visit Spaswinefood organized a Zoom wine tasting of Merlot wines with friends. During the tasting I shared a few Californian, Bordeaux, and Chilean wines, which I had on my table. This event prompted me to put Stags' Leap on my Napa Valley must visit list.
Stags' Leap Cellars, Napa Valley © Spaswinefood
Stags' Leap
Amongst the Zoom wine tasting of California 2016 Merlots were wines from Stags' Leap, Benziger and Dark Horse. Given the Stags' Leap Merlot was indeed pleasing I just had to drive by the winery.
Merlot Wines on My Table © Spaswinefood
Stags' Leap Cellars: A Napa Valley Must Visit © Spaswinefood
Napa's Stags' Leap is indeed a must. Now for a brief note on Merlot. Merlot is one of top grapes grown worldwide, with Bordeaux, Italy, California (Napa Valley, Sonoma County), Chile, Romania, Australia, and Hungary being amongst its best known regions. Depending on its growing location there are general characteristics. Its medium tannins has enhanced its popularity as blending grape and a varietal. Worldwide Merlot is one of the most popular red wines not only as a blending grape but as a varietal. For our wine tasting we did not forget to try some food pairings. It is always a good recommendation to prepare something to go along with your wine tasting. It could be appetizers, small plates, or even a main course if you like. The following articles are a good start:
1. Food & Wine article, and
2. BigOven article.
Stags' Leap Merlot & Brownie Time © Spaswinefood
After our wine tasting I discovered that brownies pair well with a Stags' Leap Merlot.
Just in case you are wondering about The best merlots then take a peek at this wine-searcher article. Apart from the two Pomerol's from Bordeaux on the list I found the article interesting in that seven of the Merlot wines on the list are from Italy. Hence some are claiming that Italy is the new spiritual home for Merlot. California's Napa Valley had one wine on the list. For sure the wines on the list are awesome but most are on the pricey side. In deciding on some Merlot wines under $30 to taste at home I did a little research. An article on 13 Most-Recommended merlots I found useful in helping to select the wines from a local Total Wine store. In the end I came up with four 2016 Merlot wines costing less then $30. Three of the Merlots were Californian and one was from Bordeaux. Just for the record 2016 was an amazing year in Bordeaux. For comparison a 2016 Stags' Merlot ended up on my table as a top wine in the $20-$30 category.
Top $20 to $30 Category: Stags' Leap Winery Merlot 2016
Stags' Leap Merlot 2016 © Spaswinefood
Stags' Leap Merlot 2016 (back label) © Spaswinefood
Stags' Leap Merlot 2016 ($27.89) is an excellent wine.
February: A Perfect Time to Visit Napa Valley
Grgich Hills Estate © Spaswinefood
Stags' Leap Cellars © Spaswinefood
That February day, visiting two favorite Napa wineries and viewing the mustard blooms in the vineyards, was pure delight.
Mustard Plants Blooming, Napa Vineyards © Spaswinefood
Sharon
Napa Valley, California
February 2021
© Spaswinefood
February Delights, Rutherford, Napa Valley © Spaswinefood
Ready to Taste Merlot Wines: Try a 2016 Stags' Leap © Spaswinefood
No comments:
Post a Comment