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Eco-Friendly Wine Route

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Eco Friendly Wine Route in the Napa Valley

Many wineries in the Napa Valley can boast that they are eco-friendly in some fashion: certified organic, sustainable, biodynamic, Napa Green or solar powered. If you and your friends are environmentally conscious, then you may like visiting these five wineries. Each of these wineries is currently open and accepting reservations. Call it your Eco-Friendly Wine Route. 

The Eco-Friendly Wine Route

  • Robert Sinskey – Biodynamic
  • Honig Winery – Sustainable
  • Round Pond Estate – Sustainable
  • Frog’s Leap – Organic, sustainable
  • Casa Nuestra- Organic

This wine route is centered around the Silverado Trail that runs along the eastern side of the Valley. Use the map below as your guide for getting to the wineries that you would like to visit on this trail. Always check the winery’s website for tasting-room hours and for booking tours.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards

We begin our wine country getaway at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. The winery is located just north of Oak Knoll Road at 6320 Silverado Trail. It is on the right as you drive north. Robert Sinskey is a certified biodynamic winery and uses solar power. The terrace is a beautiful spot to sip some wine and take a look at the beautiful valley floor. Check the Robert Sinskey Website for tasting details, food pairing, and reservations.

Honig Winery

“Family owned, sustainably farmed, and solar powered” is the slogan at the Honig Winery. This winery officially had its start in 1984 and is one of the first in the Napa Valley to start a program of sustainable farming. It has been a model for other wineries in California. To visit and hear about sustainable farming, you will need to make an appointment. We are particularly fond of the Honig Sauvignon Blanc labels, the Napa Valley, and the Rutherford. “Sustainable” is a somewhat vague term, but essentially means that all farming adds to the land and does not harm the earth in any form. “Sustainable” also means that the vineyards will keep the staff working long term.

Honig Tasting

Honig Tasting

Round Pond Estate

Round Pond is one of the new kids on the block with the first vintage date of 2002. The MacDonnell family owns the winery, olive oil plant, and the vineyards. 95% of the grapes are sold to other wineries, with the remainder allocated for Round Pond Wines production. “Sustainable” is the operative word at Round Pond. The winery has one of the most impressive views for a wine tasting. The patio is where you reserve your spot and enjoy a variety of food and wine pairings. The gardens, of course, are organically farmed. Check the Website for the various tasting options and reservations.

The Terrace at Round Pond

The Terrace at Round Pond

Frog’s Leap

Frog’s Leap is another of the pioneering eco-friendly wineries of the Napa Valley. The winery has two different tastings for tourists, the Signature Seated Tasting, and the Guided Tour and Tasting. Both require reservations. Frog’s Leap is a popular winery, so plan accordingly. You will love the entire environment at Frog’s Leap.

Frog's Leap

Frog’s Leap

Casa Nuestra Winery

For our last winery, we head north almost to Calistoga to the Casa Nuestra Winery. This is another family-owned winery. This is a bit of a change of pace from the other wineries. Casa Nuestra is very small and on the funky side. It is a very fun tasting room to visit. The winery has been committed to organic farming for almost two decades. The winery also uses extensive solar power. The wines at Casa Nuestra are atypical of Napa Valley wines. Here you will find labels like Verdelho, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Tinto, and Symphony. 

During the COVID situation, Casa Nuestra is only able to accommodate Wine Club members only. Please be patient, and try later in the year. 

There are many other wineries in the Napa Valley that are eco-friendly. You can check this list to see what other wineries are environmentally friendly.

How One Winery Mastered Take-Out, Made-At-Home & Pick-Up Wine Pairing in the Era of COVID-19

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Lakewood Vineyards

COVID-19 has affected virtually all industries, with the service and hospitality sectors taking an exceptional hit. With restaurants, bars, and pubs all being closed to the public for indoor dining, pick-up, take-out, and delivery services have been expanding and adapting at a rapid pace to keep these establishments from closing their doors for good. Like their food-based counterparts, breweries and wineries have also been impacted by “Safer at Home” policies, fighting hard to stay operational. Most are trying their best to offer ship-to-home services in lieu of tastings and tours, but will these efforts alone be enough? 

Certain wineries don’t think so, and are finding creative ways to appeal to a larger audience and keep their operations afloat. Lakewood Vineyards, an award-winning winery located in the Finger Lakes region of New York, decided to use this unprecedented opportunity to engage with their potential customers in a much more personal way. While they can only have 10 folks in their establishment at a time, they can virtually visit the homes of hundreds of their loyal fans and followers. The founding family and winery staff have taken to social media with not one, but two different Facebook video series focused on Lakewood wine and food pairings. These efforts, partnered with their limited in-person services, have allowed them to offer wine pairing advice for take-out fare, made-at-home meals, and pick-up grub. 

Wine Pairing for Take-Out 

Much like many of us who are ordering in food from apps, the Take-Out Pairings series was created to support local restaurants and offer up suggestions for exceptional wine pairing for each category of takeout. Each video features different members of the Lakewood team and focuses on a new local establishment. So far, they have covered pub favorites, BBQ, vegetarian meals, and brunch! While their recommendations are tailored to their vintages, viewers could choose to substitute any winery’s bottle of the same variety. 

Wine Pairing for Made-At-Home 

On the off chance that you’re not looking to pair delicious wines with local eats, then Cook + Cork may be more your style. In this weekly, Chopped-style cooking show, Lakewood staff members face-off to create a unique meal to pair with a specific Lakewood wine, using required ingredients that come from local businesses. Each chef is competing for the coveted Golden Spoon, and winners are decided via popular vote after each episode airs. It has proven to be a fun, feel-good way to learn about different wines from various members of the staff, and learn a thing or two about what foods you could cook up at home to pair Lakewood wines with. Plus, we love that it is supporting other area businesses that have been hit by COVID.

Wine Pairing for Pick-Up 

Some businesses still allow in-store pick-up of food and beverage, and Lakewood Vineyards falls under that category. If you’re local to the area, they’re happy to welcome you to their retail shop. While visitors can’t stay for a tasting or guided tour, they are invited to pick up a to-go lunch from a local establishment and then swing by the retail room to grab a bottle of wine personally recommended by a Lakewood steward. With New York planning phased reopening, visitors will soon be able to enjoy their food and drinks on the Lakewood grounds, too. The extensive trails and quaint gazebo will make for the perfect spot for a secluded picnic that both supports local businesses and complies with ongoing social distancing requirements. 

Wine lovers don’t have to forgo delicious wine pairings just because they’re at home on lockdown. Thanks to Lakewood Vineyard’s efforts, wine enthusiasts everywhere can get virtual advice on how to pair wine with take-out classics and how to match home-made meals with their favorite varietals. Local customers even get on-the-spot advice on which bottle to enjoy with their take-out. 

Are you a winery looking to keep your sales booming despite COVID-19? Take a page from Lakewood Vineyards’ book and start creating virtual content that’s informative, fun, and timely! This is a unique opportunity to meet the ever-changing needs of winery audiences everywhere. How will you do it?

Article by Matt Salvadore representing Lakewood Vineyards

Underwater wine aging

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Yes, that’s correct. One winery is experimenting with aging wine underwater. It sounds like a crazy idea, but there is a reason behind the madness.

Wapisa experiments

The impetus goes back to the year 2010. What happened that year was the discovery of cases of 170-year-old Champagne bottles underwater. They were from the ruins of a shipwreck in the Baltic sea, heading to the wine cave of Catherine II of Russian.

Once the bottles were recovered, the Champagne was very drinkable to the amazement of wine experts around the world. Could it be that the saltwater sea is a perfect environment for aging wine?

Ten years later, we turn to the winery of Wapisa. Wapisa is an Argentine winery in Patagonia in the region of Rio Negro. The winery is 25 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. One thousand, five hundred bottles of a Wapisa red blend wine are aging at two different depths in the Atlantic Ocean. One set is at 6 meters and the other is at 15 meters. The experiment will last seven months. Then the taste and comparison will begin with the cellar-aging wine and the ocean-aging wine. The hypothesis is that one month of aging in the sea equals one year of aging in a wine cellar.

The experimental wine is a 2017 red blend consisting of 50% Malbec, 30% Cabernet, and 20% Merlot. Patricia Ortiz is the owner of the Wapisa winery, along with the Tapiz and Zolo wineries in Mendoza. Several years ago we visited and toured the Tapiz Winery. It is a first-class organization with the latest equipment and great winemakers, including consulting winemaker Claude Berrouet, once the winemaker at the famous Chateau Pétrus in Bordeaux.

We love the Tapiz and Zolo wines. If you see them in wine shops, give them a try. They are terrific value wines. I particularly enjoy the Tapiz “Alta Collection” Malbec for $15. A year ago, I found the 2016 Wapisa Malbec at a Costco store for $14.99. The wine was fantastic and I posted a review on our sister Website, GoodCheapVino.com.

I expect to keep tabs on the experiment, and maybe even taste the wine in the future. I am looking forward to finding out if the underwater aging of wine is the new thing. If it works, perhaps the oceans of the world will be filled with wine bottles.

Video of the Wapisa Red Blend underwater

Argentine Wine Country

Tasting Rooms are Planning How to Reopen

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Just maybe the wine country will open later this year. Wineries and tasting rooms are making plans for the day they will be allowed to open their doors to tourists and wine country fans. What will tasting rooms look like when that occurs?

tasting rooms have plans for when open
Outdoor seating is ideal for social distancing

The Wine Institute and the Napa Valley Vintners are working on a set of protocols to open tasting rooms. In this scenario, your trip to the tasting room could look like this.

The tasting room of the future?

You will make an appointment online with one or more wineries. You will sign a waiver and consent form.

There will be a list of tasting options for your perusal. Or, you might like to order a glass of wine or a bottle of wine and enjoy the vineyard views. You will prepay for your visit.

There will also be a list of precautions the winery is taking for sanitizing the tasting room, tables, glasses, and the like. You’ll need to wear a mask, except while sipping wine.

When you arrive at the winery, there will be a drive-through area. The winery staff will check your reservation, tell you where to park, and assign you to a table. They may also take your temperature and ask about your state of health.

Your glass and/or bottle of wine will be waiting for you, chilled and ready to taste. The server will be the appropriate distance away and walk you through the tastings. If there is food included, it will likely be crackers or breadsticks in wrapped packages. I wonder if we’ll be able to bring our own picnic lunch to enjoy outdoors.

It is likely that wineries will be more aggressive in pushing their wine clubs. The wine club is important because it is direct to consumer and provides the most profit for the winery.

If you order wine for purchase, it will be a paperless transaction.

Other considerations

Will this be a day trip, and how many tasting rooms will travelers visit in an outing? If it is an overnight trip, what are the considerations for lodging and dining?

It is more likely that the tasting room experience will be more for the serious wine drinkers. The typical fun and socializing while tasting wine will be lost.

Will the tasting room experience under this situation be enjoyable enough for return visits to wine country?

We look forward to the day when we will be able to visit tasting rooms. The big question is, when that happens, will people come to the wine country and be comfortable in the tasting room? That is an unknown, and there are many factors controlling the opening of tasting rooms and restaurants. Will there be fewer cases of Coronavirus, or will there be another spike in the Fall?

All factors point to a long period of time before a tasting room will look like it did pre Coronavirus.

Amsterdam restaurant is using mini-greenhouses to protect customers. Could they be used in our tasting rooms and restaurants?

Sonoma’s Wine Road

I think this is a very entertaining video in Sonoma that is part of the Wine Road association. Watch it and support these wineries.

Make a Pizza at Home

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oat cheese and pistachio pesto.
Fig Pizza with goat cheese and pistachio pesto. Wow!

You are working from home and the kids are there, too. Making pizza from scratch is fun and therapeutic. Homemade pizza is so much better than what chain pizza parlors have to offer. The kids get a science lesson with the yeast doing its wonders on the dough. Mom and Dad get to choose a wine that goes nicely with the pizza. Everybody loves a good pizza!

How to make a pizza at home

You can make a pizza in your oven on a pizza stone, cook pizza on the stovetop in a castiron skillet, or make it on the barbecue grill. I like the grill because you can make two pizzas, maybe three, and each pizza can have a different topping.

What you need for making homemade pizza

  • Yeast
  • Flour
  • A pizza dough recipe
  • Pizza toppings

Pizza Tools

  • Pizza peel
  • Pizza wheel
  • Pizza stone – for the oven or the grill
  • Castiron pan – stovetop or grill
  • A good-sized spatula

You can shop for pizza tools at Bed Bath & Beyond, Sur La Table, Amazon, or other kitchen places.

How to Make a Pizza at Home

I started making pizzas at home many years ago after watching a cooking show on my local PBS station. Joanne Weir led us through all the steps, and I have never looked back. Joanne has several fantastic recipes for pizzas. Her pizza dough always works. Check out Joanne’s pizza recipe list on her Website.

Once the dough is ready, spread it out to a ten-inch diameter. Chef Joanne Weir mixes a tablespoon of olive oil and a minced garlic clove and lets it sit. Brush a thin layer of the mix on the pizza dough. Then, add your toppings.

My tip: I have a hard time sliding the pizza dough with all the toppings on the pizza stone. Everything slides to the side or off the dough. To fix the issue, I slide the dough on the stone for 45 seconds without toppings. That gives the dough some firmness. Now I put the toppings on and slide the pizza in the oven.

You can also cook a pizza on the grill three ways. On a pizza stone or grid on the grill, a castiron skillet on the grill, or just put the dough smack dab on top of the grill bars. Check out this link. Three ways to make pizza on the Barbecue.

Choose your wine

The Italians love their Barbera wines with pizza. However, any good red wine seems to work its magic on pizza. We most often go with Zinfandel wine. Of course, much depends on the toppings.

Don’t forget to support your local wine shop or favorite winery during this shelter-in-place situation. Just about every wine dealer or winery is offering great shipping prices and/or curbside pickups.

Watch a wine movie and eat pizza

We just discovered Kanopy! Kanopy is a video streaming service that is free. All you need is a public library card and you will have access to thousands of independent movies and other fantastic shows. I did a search for the keyword “Wine”on Kanopy. The result: wine movies, wine documentaries, and wine courses. Download the Kanopy app to your TV and tablet. Kanopy!

Can’t Go to Wine Country

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The view atop Daou Mountain at Daou Vineyards

Can’t go to wine country, how about a wine country movie or book?

Last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday we were in Paso Robles wine country. We had a fabulous time visiting tasting rooms on the backroads of Adelaida Road. We loved the dining experience at Buena Tavola and La Cosecha near the City Park. What a change one week can bring! Governor Gavin Newsom tells tasting rooms and wineries to close. Our President declares a National Emergency. We have a Shelter-in-Place for six Bay Area Counties.

While in Paso Robles, we visited three tasting rooms. All were quite busy with tourists. The staff was diligent in sanitizing counters and registers. None of that works when one infected person coughs or sneezes.

If you are experiencing wine country withdrawal, try a good movie or book about wine country.

List of Favorite Wine Country Movies and Books

“Sideways” is one of my favorite movies of all time. We like to watch it at least once a year. Why is it a favorite? Check out this article I previously posted.

Another fun movie is “Bottle Shock.” It is an account (loosely based) on the famous tasting in Paris in 1976. California wines took the top honors over the best French wines.

There once was a very popular soap opera about a feuding family who owned vineyards and a winery in the Napa Valley. The show and the name of the winery was Falcon Crest. The present-day Spring Mountain Winery in St. Helena served as the location for Falcon Crest.

The show ran from 1981 to 1990. Amazon Prime has the series for streaming at a Rent or Buy price. See this link for more information on Falcon Crest.

Wine Podcasts & Video

With your electronic devices and earbuds, there are many wine podcasts and videos available. Wine Enthusiasts and the Wine Spectator are the best and most accurate ones worth downloading.

Thank goodness, we have vino to keep our sanity during this unbelievable time.

Big Wine Country News – Revelations, Michelin Stars, Best Wine Books

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Rolando Herrera, owner and winemaker at Mi Sueño in the Napa Valley

Learn about your local winemakers

 

NBC Bay Area TV: Bay Area Revelations is an award-winning series. The program returns on December 8, 2018,  at 10 pm. Bay Area winemakers will be featured in a new documentary: America’s Wine Country. America’s Wine Country features vintners whose stories have been instrumental in shaping our wine country to world-class fame.

From our own wine country backyard in Northern California, winemakers featured are: Warren Winiarski, the founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Rolando Herrera, owner of Mi Sueño Winery, Bo Barrett from Chateau Montelena, Randall Grahm from Bonny Doon, Carolyn Wente from Wente Vineyards, Dick Grace of Grace Family Vineyards and the family at Gundlach Bundshu.

If you love wine, you will love this series on wine country.  Here is a preview of Revelations.

Wine Country Michelin Restaurants

Bouchon – another Thomas Keller restaurant

Three Stars

Two Stars

New York Times Top Wine Books of 2018

Wine writer Eric Asimov identifies and describes the best wine books published in 2018. If you are looking for a gift idea for your family member or friend who loves wine, a wine book might be the perfect gift. See this link: Wine Books

More information

Make a large print of this beautiful grape cluster - JoeBecerra.Com

Make a large print of this beautiful grape cluster – JoeBecerra.Com

 

Wine Country News 2018

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anderson valley mendocino county

Beautiful Anderson Valley in Mendocino County

Wine Country News – Winter

Please see the attached press release below for Lodi’s Wine and Chocolate Weekend on February 10 and 11, 2018. The weekend is the perfect opportunity to sip a diverse selection of handcrafted Lodi wines and sample delicious sweet and savory chocolate bites while visiting more than 50 Lodi appellation wineries. For more information visit www.lodiwineandchocolate.com. Please email me to request any media tickets.

Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend – 2/10 and 2/11

The Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend is a significant event in Lodi, celebrating its 21st year. Lodi is one of wine country’s best-kept secrets. Most folks think Lodi as producing only bulk wines. Think again; Lodi wines are on the upswing. Here is a link to complete details on the  Wine & Chocolate Weekend. The weekend is the perfect opportunity to sample a diverse selection of quality Lodi wines and delicious chocolate bites while visiting more than 50 Lodi appellation wineries.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 10 Best Wine Getaways 2018

Among the 10 Best Wine Getaways 2018 are San Luis Obispo and, surprisingly, the Grand Valley, Colorado. San Luis Obispo is an old favorite of ours for exploring wineries, vineyards, and food. We have not been to the Grand Valley, but it looks very promising. It is now on our must-visit list. See the Wine Enthusiast wine destinations for 2018.

Blendtarian Movement

What’s this? Mushrooms are healthy food, plus mushrooms add Umami to the mix. The Blendtarian Movement uses mushrooms blended with other ingredients. Try chopped mushrooms mixed with ground beef to make a better and healthier hamburger. Here are two links to the Blendtarian Movement.

Now does this alter your wine choices? I think red wine is best, and a medium-to-heavy bodied earthy wine is perfect. What do you think?

Zinfandel Experience January 18 to 20

The Zinfandel Experience is a wine and food extravaganza. It is one of the most popular wine tastings in California. For over 20 years, Zinfandel fans have flocked to this event in San Francisco. For complete details and to purchase tickets: https://zinfandelexperience.com.

Gary Farrell Winery

Congratulations to the Gary Farrell Winery. The winery has donated $30,000 to the Wine Country Fires Relief Program. The Gary Farrell Winery is the producer of exquisite Pinot Noir wines.

Sullivan Vineyards

The Sullivan Vineyards in Rutherford in the Napa Valley has been acquired by VITE. VITE is a private investment group with a focus on the fine wine industry. The historic Sullivan Vineyards encompasses 26 acres, and the acquisition also includes the winery. The vineyards are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon.

Catch Napa Valley Harvest 2017

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harvest cabernet

On York Lane in St. Helena, harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon

Get ready to catch the Napa Valley Harvest 2017

The Napa Valley harvest 2017 is underway, and now is the time for every wine country buff to plan to watch all the activities that take place during the harvest. The Napa Valley is one of the best spots for viewing the “crush” because of the number of vineyards and wineries in such a concentrated area. If you spend a few days in the Napa Valley from mid-September through October, you are likely to see all the harvest activities: the grape picking, the sorting, the crushing and fermentation. It is the Napa Valley at its best for the tourist. Start making your plans now to watch the most exciting show in the world of wine.

The Napa Valley harvest 2017 has already started as of late July with Mumm Napa picking Pinot Noir grapes for its sparkling wine. White wine grapes are next to be harvested. The last grapes are usually Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, either in late September or in October. The weather plays a big part. Cool weather delays the harvest, hot weather the opposite.

Napa Valley Harvest 2017 Travel Tips

We have some tips for getting the most out of harvest in the Napa Valley. One of the most educational activities you can do is to take a tour. Check the Napa Valley Vintners Website to search for wineries that have complete winery tours.

If you want to watch the actual harvesting of the grapes, you’ll need to get up just before sunrise. Picking of the grapes is done early before the heat of the day. Drive the Valley and look for signs of the harvest. Look for several cars parked on the side of the road, half-ton bins ready to be filled, or small harvest baskets at the ready, as well as tractor trucks. More than likely harvest will be taking place in deep in the vineyards. Bring your camera or smartphone and walk into the vineyards; when you spot the workers, ask the foreman if it is okay to take pictures.

During the day, stop in at any tasting room and ask about the crush activities. The staff usually knows what harvest activities are taking place at their winery and what is in store for the following couple of days. Our strategy is to stop at a winery, initially bypass the tasting room and walk to the where the crush facilities are located to see what activities are taking place. No one really seems to care that you are there as long as you stand back far enough not to get in the way. Everyone is working so intensely that you will hardly be noticed.

This is a favorite time for tourists, so plan ahead. If you want to spend any length of time, be sure to book your accommodations early. But often, just going up for the day will be fun enough. Enjoy and don’t forget to pack that camera.

Check our Napa Valley Wine Country Planning Guide for complete details on where to stay, dine, and other fun activities.

Trending Now – Book Clubs are Meeting in Wine Country

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Mills Book Club meets annually at a winery

Mills Book Club meets annually at a winery

Book Clubs are Meeting in Wine Country

The Mills Book Club was established in 1989 by Librarian Kris, long before book clubs were as popular as they are now. Today, book clubs are flourishing among friends and neighbors all over the world. Perhaps it was the Mills Book Club that set the trend for book club proliferation! The Mills Book Club is setting another trend these days, holding a book club meeting in wine country. The Mills Book Club has been doing this for the past six years.

It began in 2012 when Mills Book Club member Pat thought it would be fun to hold a book club meeting at her summer getaway home in Healdsburg, CA. The book club enjoyed the event so much that they decided to make this an annual affair and host the meeting at a winery. It seems that to sip wine and discuss books in the peace of wine country brings much joy to the book club. The club picks small wineries, preferably family-owned, and ones where the winemaker or winery owner has time to meet with the book club.

The Mills Book Club wineries

The Battaglini Winery is a terrific winery stop in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. Owner and winemaker Joe Battaglini gave us a walking tour and showed us 135-year-old Zinfandel and Petite Sirah vines. His small but quaint tasting room is filled with memorabilia and good cheer.  While we were busy tasting, a couple visiting from Florida came into the tasting room. Upon leaving, the woman said “This is so much fun. Yesterday we were in Napa at a snobby tasting room where the winery was selling $100 Cabernet. Who needs a hundred-dollar bottle of wine?” Certainly not the Mills Book Club members!

Joe Battaglini with Mills Book Club member Mike in the vineyards

Joe Battaglini with Mills Book Club member Mike in the vineyards

The Mills Book Club meets once a month, and members are mostly retired teachers from Mills High School in Millbrae.  A few still teach there and a few others are close friends who wanted to be part of the book club environment. In case you are wondering what the Mills Book Club reads, the following is a list of recent books they have read.

Latest Choice:

Recent favorites:

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY REGIONS:

Carneros • Livermore • Lodi • Mendocino • Monterey • Napa Valley • Paso Robles • Santa Barbara County • Santa Cruz Mts. • Sierra Foothills • Russian River • Sonoma Valley

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