Wine mecca beckons tastebuds

By Caroline Mooser

The Sterling Vineyards wine educator and tour guide, Sharon, asks her guests these questions as they sink their noses deep into the recesses of the wine glass: "What do you smell? What does it remind you of?" Responses vary from "wet gravel" to "Aunt Sue's old attic" and "the dentist's office."

After sampling 30-some wines in three days, one may conclude that wine tasting is a very subjective activity -- one that most people in Napa Valley fully understand.

In the past 40 years, Napa Valley has witnessed an explosion of growth. In the 1970s there were only about 60 vineyards in the valley. Today, Napa is a wine mecca of more than 400 producers.

Once under-appreciated and classified as the drink of poor immigrants, the Sterling guide explained that it wasn't until the late 1960s that visionaries such as the founders of Sterling Vineyards, Peter Newton, Robert Mondavi and Mike Grgich began a wine revival movement.

Their goal was to revolutionize how people thought about wine. They intended not to turn wine into an elitist drink, but rather to make it available and enjoyable for everyone.

Some liken the 29-mile long, five-mile wide Napa Valley to an Eden-esque setting just north of San Francisco, whose 35 different soil varieties, Mediterranean-like climate and undulating terrain make it beautiful as well as ideal for grape growing. The end of March and early April period is known as bud break, when the grapes -- called berries -- emerge from dormancy.

Tour guides at Sterling, Mumm Napa and Del Dotto Caves stress that wine making is a science and an art. The Del Dotto guide explained that while Kendall-Jackson's chardonnay formula may be the same year after year, Del Dotto is not afraid to take risks in experimenting with new grape and barrel combinations. This technique paid off, and three of its cabernet sauvignons were on America's top 10 list.

Barrel tastings at Del Dotto take place in a cool, dark cave. Dug by hand in 1885, the cave is the perfect environment for aging wine, which can be destroyed by heat. The guide poured some of the vineyard's best, including one of his favorites, a 2006 cabernet franc with a bouquet of Santa Rosa plum and cocoa powder and a finish of coffee.

The Del Dotto guide explained that in Biblical times, all members of the family drank wine as a staple beverage, including the children. It was even part of breakfast. A piece of toast was often dropped into the glass to absorb the wine's acidity. The phrase "to make a toast" derived from this practice of adding toast to wine.

During a wine tasting, guests can try wines sold exclusively at the vineyard. Sterling's 2007 malvasia bianca is a lesser-known varietal made from an ancient, white Greek grape. Its flowery nose, or smell, and tropical fruit flavors are memorable, making it one of the vineyard's top sellers. Guides also share the very buttery and creamy 2006 reserve chardonnay, which has been served at the Academy Awards for the past six years.

"The Preiser Key to Napa Valley" by Monty, Sara and Justin Preiser is a great resource for information about Napa's 14 distinctive wine-growing regions, also referred to as appellations or American viticultural areas. Different wines produced by the same appellation share characteristics because they are grown in the same soils and microclimate.

For example, bottles listing the Rutherford appellation feature the "Rutherford Dust" characteristic that "one experiences following a sip of one of the superior cabernet sauvignons produced" in this area, notes "The Preiser Key."

The Oak Knoll appellation makes for a different wine altogether. Located at the southern end of Napa County, the grape grown here "comes under cooling influences of breezes and fog that slow growth and allow excellent integration of acid, sugar and tannins." The right combination of weather, soil and human touch all factor into the production of a good wine.

For non-wine drinkers, Downtown Joe's bar in Napa handcrafts its own ales that are sure to please. The Black and Tan -- stout and Indian Pale Ale -- and the Leprechaun Stout -- with coffee and chocolate flavors -- are certainly delicious and worthy of a second or third round. Downtown Joe's is also a great place to meet the personable locals, who can make recommendations for vineyard visits.

With a population of 75,000, the town of Napa is small, and the hospitable people are used to hosting wine lovers from all over the world. A weekend trip would certainly be a memorable experience.

Contact Caroline Mooser at (408) 551-1918 or cmooser@scu.edu.