Most travelers to the Napa Valley have never heard of Andy Beckstoffer. Yet he is 
the man behind many of the finest wines made in the Napa Valley. No, he is not a winemaker or winery owner. What he does is farm vineyards, 1000 acres of them in the Napa Valley and many more in Lake County and Mendocino County. He has been doing this since 1975 and today is recognized by his peers as one of most influential figures in the Napa Valley wine scene. We recently met Andy Beckstoffer and his wife Betty at a wine event held in nature’s paradise, the Yosemite Valley. The wine event was the Vintner’s Holiday held each winter at the Ahwahnee Hotel.
Wine News
Holidays Wine Gifts – A Very Cool Wine Book to Consider
It is the time of the year when you begin to think about developing your gift list 
for family and friends. Here is idea for someone who enjoys wine and is perhaps not easy to please. It is a wine book: “The Art and Design of Contemporary Wine Labels.” I know it sounds a bit boring but once you open the book to any page describing a label, it is very fun and interesting. I received a complimentary copy of this book. It is a beautiful looking book but one I certainly did not think I would find that enjoyable. But it was quite the opposite, and I use the word “fun” to describe the book because that is just the kind of experience when one discovers the history and the making of a particular wine label.
Vintage Wine Tasters Blind Taste Napa Valley 2007 Vintage
This past week the Vintage Wine Tasters met for their annual blind tasting of California Cabernet Sauvignon. For this tasting we decided to drill down to the 2007 Vintage, all from wineries in the Napa Valley. Everyone in the Napa Valley is touting the 2007 Vintage as a great one. The weather in 2007 was mild with no heat spikes of over 100 degrees. The nights were cool with less than five days of nighttime temperatures above 55 degrees. The year was a grower’s delight.
It was my turn to host so I did as much research as possible to narrow the huge number of 07 Napa Cabernets to six wines ranging in price from $20 to $60. By coincidence on the day of our blind tasting, my latest Wine Spectator arrived and it was the annual issue devoted to California Cabernet Sauvignon. I quickly glanced at the highest-ranked wines in the Spectator and found two of my choices on their Top Value list, one at 94 points and the other at 92 points. 
If you like Napa you will love Champagne
We just returned from a fascinating and wonderful three-week trip to France. Our last week was spent in the Champagne Region. If you like visiting Napa, you will love visiting the Champagne region. In spending just one week in Champagne we barely scratched the surface exploring this historic wine region. There are some 300 villages in the Champagne wine region and more than 3000 Champagne producers.
Only three varieties of grapes are grown here, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. These are the grapes used in blending Champagne. The majority of the soil is limestone The vines are grown in rows about one meter apart and are allowed to grow just over a meter in height. The vines are kept short and are constantly pruned. The idea is to keep the density high so the grape production is lower and the vines must compete for the needed ingredients. The vines grow deep into the chalky limestone soil. No irrigation is needed because there is enough rain and the chalky soil acts like a sponge to absorb the water. The limestone soil gives the Champagne that unique character that is found in no other bubbly around the world. 
Napa Valley — August Events & Happenings
For the wine tourist, there are a plethora of wine country activities and events taking place in August and we list here the most interesting of these happenings.
Robert Mondavi Winery Garden Table Events
These classes are a special way for wine country visitors to experience the iconic Robert Mondavi Winery. The classes are held every Saturday in August from 4-8 pm and include time to pick fresh produce in the winery’s beautiful kitchen garden, cooking instructions from winery chef Jeff Mosher, and a delicious meal, overlooking the vineyards, paired with Robert Mondavi Winery wines. Cost is $150 per person and includes a bound book with a selection of garden-fresh recipes from Chef Jeff Mosher. Classes are limited to ten participants. More information can be found at the Robert Mondavi Website.
Rutherford Dust Adventures — Tasting the 2007 Vintage
What a terrific day for us on Wednesday of this past week! We were among twenty-five wine writers and wine bloggers present at the annual Rutherford Dust Society’s “A Day in the Dust.” The venue was the historic Rubicon Estates Chateau and the setting dramatic as we entered the room to view the tables with sets of wine glasses numbered and prepared for the tasting. First we heard from present-day wine legends like Andy Beckstoffer, Joel Aiken, Peter Granoff, Larry Stone and others. Then it was down to work, or should I say pleasure, and the tasting of the wines.
The wines we tasted were from 23 different vintners in the Rutherford AVA, all 2007 vintage, Cabernet Sauvignon or blends made predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon. Andy Beckstoffer explained to us that the 2007 growing season had been one of the best in memory. The season started with early heat, followed by cooler weather than normal. August warmed but there were no heat spikes. Usually the Napa Valley experiences five or six heat spikes that are in the high nineties or above the 100 mark, none of which are good for grapes. September was cooler than usual and the grapes gently matured to their ideal sugar levels. Peter Granoff told us that with the 2007 vintage there had been a shift from long hang time and high alcoholic wines to wines that were more elegant, balanced wines with a soft finish. Peter stated, “We have gone full circle and now we are looking for elegance.”
Chasing Napa or Napa Envy
We are back from spending five days in the Washington wine country with 300 Wine Bloggers. We visited many wineries and heard many voices from various Washington wine associations and groups. Interestingly, the most commonly-mentioned wine area outside of Washington was the Napa Valley. When you are on top, watch out, someone’s out to top you. I don’t think Washington can ever reach Napa in terms of a tourist destination, but in wine quality this is another matter. These folks feel strongly that the AVA’s of Washington are unique and remarkable and are producing wines as good as, and perhaps better than, the Napa Valley.
Here are some direct quotes:
“The amount of sunlight here is on average 58 minutes longer per day than in the Napa Valley.”
“We don’t have phylloxera or the sharpshooter like Napa because our winters are so cold.”
“Our latitude is between that of Bordeaux and Burgundy; Napa is lower than Burgundy.”
“Our Syrah is big and chewy and there’s nothing like it, not even in Napa.”
“We heard that a Napa Valley winery wants to buy our Red Mountain grapes.”
Reserve Tasting, Library Tasting, Sit-Down Tasting, Huh?
In the good old days of the Napa Valley, you could walk into just about any tasting room along Highway 29 and not worry about having an appointment or having to pay a fee for tasting wine. You weren’t presented with a menu of different levels of wine tasting. It was then a straight forward and simple way for a winery to introduce their wines to visitors. Now with some 400 wineries to visit in the Napa Valley, you will find a multitude that are open by appointment only, and several wineries have various fees for different types and levels of tasting. “Yes, we are open by appointment only, but we are always here, so just come on in.” “No, you need to call ahead for an appointment to arrange a tasting or tour.” Once you are in the tasting room, “Do you want our Club Med tasting or just the normal tasting?” This can all be very confusing to the first-time visitor to the Napa Valley.
A Rainy but Wonderful Day in the Napa Valley — Amgen Tour
In the middle of May, one would expect the Napa Valley to be sunny and warm and provide a relaxing atmosphere just perfect for visiting the Napa Valley. Not so on Monday May 17th as it rained most of the day, and temperatures were 20 degrees below normal for this time of the year. Despite all that, we spent a most enjoyable day in the Napa Valley. Our primary purpose for being there was to watch world-class cyclists including Lance Armstrong ride through the Napa Valley on Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California. We had planned ahead and picked out the ideal spot to watch the riders. The Miner Family Winery that is just north of the Oakville Cross Road on the Silverado Trail was our choice for viewing the most important and best cycling race in the U.S.
Amgen Tour in the Napa Valley – Best Viewing Spots
On Monday, May 17, the Amgen Tour of California will take the cyclists through perhaps what is the most stunning and spectacular portion of the entire eight-day tour. Too bad these world-class professional cyclists will have little chance to enjoy the view of wine country. Up Howell Mountain and the Oakville Grade, cyclists will use every ounce of energy to make their way to the summit of these steep grades. Down these two mountains, the cyclists’ skills will be put to the test as they maneuver not only hairpin turns but also attempt to avoid numerous potholes that seem to be around each corner.
For spectators, the news is much better. There are plenty of places to take in the tour in the Valley. This past week we used our car to scout some of the better locations for viewing the cyclists. Ideally, you want a spot where you can sit higher than the cyclists. The view should be unobstructed as there will be parked cars on both sides of the road. A view of a long stretch of road in both directions is also a plus. If you can’t get to higher ground, try and avoid crowded areas. Each person leans in to catch a glimpse of the riders as they approach and that has the same affect as it does in a stadium when the fan in front stands up at a key play.