Final Day

If you could only see the tears on my keyboard as I reflect over the entire trip. It was a great time and one I hope we can do again. I hope Karen and Julia can get there with us one time, although not sure how much Karen would enjoy the tasting. That said Melissa and I have agreed to try and make this trip an every 2-3 year event. I have included the left over pictures that where worth posting. Most where meant to be used on other posts, but had to put them somewhere.

And so on to the last day:

The day started crappy as we tried to find somewhere to ship back to Houston for us. We have never had this issue, so trying to find some place was a disaster. We finally found one place that wanted to charge us $500, after being there for around 45 minutes. Needless to say we left, pissed, and where able to make a deal some where else successfully.

Then we started the REAL day

1. Cuvasion - Lights where out so it was a bit distracted. Wines where a bit overpriced but their Pinot's where amazing. Would like to go back to get a better appreciation of the quality of the wine.
2. Dutch Henry - Again one of the best 2 or 3 finds along the way. As Melissa states, it is a piece of Sonoma in Napa. Tasted in the barn, meet the owner, pet the dogs, and the wine was fantastic. My parents joined the wine club. Eager to go back, try more wine and play boccie and maybe staying at the house. We loved the Merlot and the Argos. But did not taste a thing we did not like. Great find.
3. Kathryn Hall- Your eco friendly winery. Definitely a bit leaning towards the "uppity" side of Napa, the wines are great. Their whites I felt where very crisp and strong. However they are known more for the reds and especially their Cabs and the did not let us down.
4. Provenance - Wines are constantly rated high, and I have had them before and enjoyed them, however, the tastes we had where very poor. I did not like a single thing we tasted and everyone felt the same. Big disappointment.
5. Plumpjack - Our first time at the winery and for everyone in my family who has this amazing experience their, Melissa and I will not share that with you. We hated it. It was super small and every moron in the world who had any money and no sense was there and in my way. It was so bad that Isabelle and I left as I a group of two couples where nice enough to hold the door for themselves and let it run into my one year old daughter and I. Really chaps me. Anyway, did not get to taste much as I got so frustrated. Wines are always good, but will not go back.
6. Silver Oaks- Pretentious yes. Fantastic yes! Unlike Plumpjack, they are who they are and they do not hide it. All Cabs here and although they are high priced, you know it going in and it was well worth it. Had great conversation with some locals here and Isabelle was able to per their dog. Great way to end.

Pictures at and off the house. The house was a 1900 century stable that was converted to a 5 bedroom beautiful complex. Words don't do it justice. It was a great place, but it could use a bit more TLC.

And the family

And that is it. Thanks Mom and Dad for everything. We love you.

Black Friday - Heart of Sonoma Valley Christmas Event

While everyone else was out shopping we were out, stop me if you heard it, wine tasting. We attended the Heart of Sonoma Valley Christmas Tasting/Event/Party. Basically 35 wineries in Southern Sonoma get together and offer a tasting mixed with food at the wineries. As always, here is a list of where we went and what we liked or did not like:

1. Kaz- Was one of the finds I was hoping would pan out and it did not. The wines where horrible save the unfiltered chardonnay we were able to barrel taste. The reds where high in tannins and just tasted of poor table wine. I had high hopes for this place and it was perhaps the biggest let down of the trip.


2. Chateau St. John - Would not have stopped here for it not included. The wines are average at best, at least what we tasted and are mass produced. We did not get to tastes the reserves, which I understand are very good. I did enjoy their whites. The grounds however where breath taking and pictures where plenty, including most on this post. Did get Christmas shopping done here.


3. VJB- Small boutique winery that served the best food of the stops by far. Tasted quickly as we had to drive around to let Isabelle fall asleep then Melissa stayed in the car while I ran in. Can not give an in-depth tasting notes but the Barbera, Primitvo and Port where fantastic. All we tasted was great and would like to go back here to taste in a more relaxed setting.
4. Kunde- Very well known and somewhat mass produced vineyard. We where only able to taste three wines as it was getting packed. All had great food pairings. Barrel tasting of the Chardonnay was a hit. Also was able to taste the Barbera and one other as well that were average.
5. Adler Falls/ Big Ass/ Leaping Lizard- Obviously a lot at one location. Big Ass Cab and Chardonnay make a good cheap table wine. Leaping Lizard is only worth their whites, but Adler Falls was a new one for us. Adler produces an interesting port that is worth the taste. The Zins are a cheap but decent taste as well. They did have a chocolate fountain going so Melissa just loved it. Nice picnic area out front, but right of the main road so it could get loud.
6. Loxton- Loxton has come to be one of my and our favorite wineries. We meet Chris Loxton on our first trip out and he took the time to show me how wine was made. It was fantastic and he really hooked me as well as showed me the side of Sonoma that is hard to beat. The food was fantastic and the live music they had was great, especially for Isabelle who just set there and danced. As for wines, he makes average whites, only a chardonnay, but his reds are fantastic. Being from Australia, his Syrah's are very rich and smooth and they steal the show, as well as his Cab-Shiraz blend. Enjoyed his Zins as well as his Late Harvest Zin and the Port. Prices are generally under $30 but unable to find here. Too Bad!!!
7. Wellington - Chris Loxton started here, and they have a similar taste to them. Rich and bold red's, although I feel they do a great Rose (Pisuenique) and interesting Red's (Noir Noir). We purchased some of their Cab's as well. Great place.
8. BR Cohn- Not part of the deal, but what can we say. One of the family's favorite. All their wines are fantastic with the Olive Hill Estate Cab. Just fantastic. I could rate them all, but they would all say how much I love them. I did try the SyrCab and Barbera this time around and enjoyed both.
9. Imagery - Ended up here and if it was not for the wines, would have been a waste. The wines, on the event list where poor however. We started with a White Burgundy and the Muscat and both where pitiful. We used to love this place and it has become a bit pretentious for our taste. They turned the shop section into the VIP section, which we apparently are not. We had to be a bit pushy to try anything more and you thought I had shot the Pope by the time I got what we wanted. That said, the Super Tuscan we ended with was fantastic.

And on to the last day, BOOO

Day 5 - Back to Sonoma, Stock up for Thanksgiving

God forbid we go into Thanksgiving without having 25 bottles of wine to enjoy. We spent Wednesday going into the more laid back Sonoma. We left the house and went out straight west and then north. We ventured into areas I have never seen and ended up on the River Road heading to the Pacific. I think next time we are in the Valleys we are going to drive the entire way. That road and that area was absolutely beautiful. On a separate note, although the wines of Napa are far superior, except for Zins and Pinot Noirs, I LOVE Sonoma, especially Northern Sonoma. The people, the wines, the free tastings. It is just my type of place. I will always love the Napa wines, but the Sonoma people own my heart.

1. Hook and Ladder - Cecil De Loach, a San Fran firefighter opened the vineyard in 1970, hence the name Hook and Ladder. This has been a stand by winery for our family for years and we have never been to the winery. Well it was fantastic. It was a perfect start to the day. We took great pictures at the old fire truck and tasted in the tasting room which looked a lot like the warehouse. They where tasting everything, and I mean everything. At least 12 bottles open. We did not taste much of the whites but what we did taste was ok, except the white zin. The Pinot's and Cabs where good but the blends, Tillerman and Station 10, and Zins where a great inexpensive buy. Definitely a great table wine for less than $20.


2. De Loach, notice the similarities. This too was owned by Cecil, although he has since sold it to a French company. Someone forgot to tell the French company that they where in Sonoma and not France or Napa. TOO pretentious for me. Pinot Noir's where very good I must say. But the tasting staff took away from it. Their whites where very crisp as well. Was not impressed with any of the reds except the Pinots, which is what they are known for.
3. Korbel- Kind of kidding here as we got lost, but my parents and sister actually went it. We did not.
4. Gary Farrel- Unbelievable Pinot Noir's and unbelievable view of the Valley. Russian River Valley. A bit to artsy for my taste and the drive up the cliff to get to it was a bit much in the rental Dodge Caravan. This was when Melissa started to actually appreciate, maybe even like, Pinot's. Much like Cab Franc if it is made well it is superb but most people are not wild on the dry taste of it. Did not get to taste the Chardonnay they made and I felt the Zin tasted too much of pepper. I do not know off hand what the specific Pinot's we tasted but all where fantastic. Did not try the Cab or Merlot either.


5. Hop Kiln- Beautiful winery built from an old beer(hops) kiln. Wines are very inexpensive and where not as good as I had hoped. Only white I liked was the 1000 Flowers, which Melissa did not. Very crisp with strong, obviously, floral tastes and bouquet. Malbec, Rushin River Red, and Big Red, where the only reds I enjoyed. All had good table wine quality.
6. Longboard-This was one of the ones I was excited about as I had done a good amount of research and this was one of my 2-3 finds I had hoped. At this point everyone but Melissa, Isabelle and Dad had went home. I want to use Melissa's exact words on this one so as to completely capture the feeling. So, "Total surprise in a good way, completely off the beaten 'wine country' path. Located in a neighborhood. True to is name, the owners are complete beach bums with very laid back attitude and an all are welcome mentality. if I hadn't been the end of a very long day, it would have been a great place to kick back and talk with the owners for hours. Unfortunately, Isabelle was at the end of her rope so we cut the visit a little short. I would definitely go back, if for nothing else, to hear all the stories these guys have to tell. The wine was a great surprise and was free flowing... so we got to taste a lot. Who knew a place covered in surf memorabilia and videos would make good wine." I could not say it any better. The owner is an Israeli surfer and it is downtown off Main in Healdsburg. We tasted everything and nothing was bad. The highlights where the North Coast Syrah, the Point Break blend, Maverick's Cab, and the Late Harvest Semillion which tastes somewhere between an ice wine and a port. Fantastic.

Day 4 - Ah Duckhorn

The Rice family used this as the time to go to San Fran. So it was just both Commander families. We stayed in Napa and enjoyed ourselves.

1. Frank Family - Beautiful grounds and enjoyed the stop. The wine taster was a bit over the top but the wines where great. Strong Zin and the Cab and Cab Reserve where fantastic. Tasted two champagnes as well which I thought tasted well with the Rose my favorite. Best part was the wine dog who played constant fetch with my Dad and Isabelle.
2. Heitz - In my opinion, their wines all have a unique earth taste to them. Known especially for their Cab's, they do make whites. But I don't remember them for the life of me. What I did enjoy the most other then their Cab's was their Ports. They offer two, a standard Port and Grignolino Port ( I guess it is still considered a Port made with Italian grapes) that tasted amazing.
3. Napa Valley Olive Oil Co. - Neat hole in the wall local store in St. Helena. You can buy olive oil in up to 5 gallon jugs. Sausage everywhere and just anything you can want, except credit card use, for a wine trip. The staff is a bit out there, I think one tried to sell me weed, and the health code is not strictly enforced, but it is fantastic and cheap.
4. V.Satui - Not known for the greatest wine, but voted the best place for a picnic. I/we hated it. I am sorry, maybe in a bad mode then, but just did nothing for me. Too crowded, to over priced, and the store where you buy all this gourmet stuff is not half is nice as the Napa Valley Olive Oil Co listed above.
5. Rutherford Hills - We went here cause we were so upset not to have a nice place for lunch at V. Satui and this place was also voted one of the nicest places for a picnic. We did not taste here but just got one bottle of wine to eat lunch. Wine was good but the view was better. We had a picnic table that overlooked all of Napa Valley. Would be interested to go back and actually taste.
6. Robert Sinskey - Neat find but completely expensive. Tasting was offered with food pairing. I love that. Their Pinot Noirs where fantastic but as always for me, the Cab Franc was a show killer. A Cab Franc made great is the best thing in the world for me. If done bad, tastes like crap! No in between. Loved the Marcien as well. Wish we could have tasted more as they have a large library, but they where not offering.
7. Baldacci - Great Napa fine. I am sure this is one of those places where in 5 years it will be overpriced and overcrowded, thus ruining the whole "neat fine" stigma (i.e Plumpjack). But for now, small tasting room, little people, great staff, and great wine! We tasted everything and my parents bought a case, as they where offering 50% off. Melissa and I bought their 4 Sons cab at half off. All was fantastic from the Pinot Noirs, to their Syrahs. Cabs where a great price for their quality.


8. Duckhorn - We decided to end on a nice note and have a tasting at Duckhorn. A tasting like all tastings SHOULD be, although I love the whole in the wall places. All tasting here are at the table. Again, everything here is fantastic. Duckhorn started with their Merlots with the stand out being the 3 Palms. Moved to the Cabs from there and there was a big fight as to what the best was with the girls favoring the Rector Creek (I thought it had a strong earth/granite taste) and the men preferring the Monitor Ledge. I was able to get a taste of their Chardonnay as well. Great place, great grounds. Just a nice relaxing time and great way to finish the day.

Napa Day 3

All Napa, all day! Good times. This was my day to pull the DD and the worst day possible for it. Great watching all these great wines and at best getting a sip. Plus even better to watch your family feeling no pain while you push your daughter around in a play tractor. At least got to hang out with my little girl.

So, Day 3 (Napa)

1. Reynold's Family - Great as usual. They where understaffed and did not get the pampering we wished we would have liked. The GM did help with other recommendations. The kids enjoyed the beautiful grounds. As always, Persistence is one of our favorite bottles of wine.
2. James Cole - Recommendation by Reynold's and perhaps one of the best finds of the trip. Pricey wine but outstanding. The winery itself was intimate, with only one staff onsite, but very friendly. He did take us on a tour of the barrel room as well. Everything we tasted was fantastic. The Petit Verdot and Cab where great. They had an interesting Riesling Ice Wine as well. But the best of the bunch was the Cab Reserve with everyone' favorite hints of chocolate! Great place and worth every penny. Start in the future.


3. Regussi - At this point I am the only sober person other than the kids so life is fantastic. It is the perfect place for a picnic which is what we did. Stayed here for sometime eating in the shade. They now offer a wine club which my parents are now memebers to, shocker!
4. Cliff Lede - One of the two most disappointing places for us. Missy and Bill sampled the sparklings which tasted average. The reds we tried where just as non memorable. Too bad as the price was high. Two good points here, the Chicago Blackhawks where tasting as well and he gave us a bunch of coupons to use.
5. ZD- Again, the wines where a bit better than average but the costs where high.
6. Conn Creek - Good inexpensive wine both in Napa and at home. Whites where very good with the Savignon Blanc taking the show.
7. Alpha Omega - Very pertinacious place, but the wines where very nice. We tasted the Chardonnay and Rose which I thought where good. The reds where very nice but not worth the high price.
8. Franciscan - Did not get to taste the Magnificant, but the Chardonnay and reds we tasted where very good. Enjoyed the Merlot the best. Would have liked to explore the grounds more, especially the library.
9. Last of the day, St. Clement - We had decided to hit one on the way out we have never heard of and this was it. Very small tasting room, but they offered a nice food pairing with it. The wine was very good, especially the reds. We tasted the whites but I really don't remember them. The Merlot and the Oroppas where my highlights. Watching my sister navigate the steep walk back to the car at the end of the day made it the best though.

On to more!

Napa/Sonoma Day 1-2

The whole Commander family decided, this has been on the mind for sometime, to spend Thanksgiving together in Sonoma/Napa Valleys. Melissa, Isabelle and I, my parents and my sister and her family including Gus and Gemma all lived together in a beautiful restored 1900's stable north of Santa Rosa, CA in Sonoma. Each day other than Thanksgiving itself we woke up and hit as many wineries as possible. So, you may not care, but I am going to include here a list of where we went and what we thought of it as well as pictures. I will try to include wine thoughts as well, but that is more for our benefits.

We were supposed to spend Wednesday in San Fran, but had such a great time, we decided to stay at the wineries. Missy and her family headed into San Fran on Tuesday and had a great time. Her kids are older so they had to be a bit more creative on the trip. I think they ended up having a great time. Isabelle was great, except the last afternoon and the trip home. I think we pushed her to the limit.

Each day we would spend at the wineries, tasting all we could buying what we wanted. And each night, we would come home and cook and drink said wine. The weather was perfect. Also introduced to a new addicting game, Dutch Blitz. Which I am possibly the best ever. Day one was the flight in, which we were going to hit some wineries on the way to the house, but we, or I guess I, got us lost in San Fran on the drive north. So let's move to Day Two:

Day Two (Headed North of the house to Northern Sonoma (i.e. Healdsburg, Dry Creek, etc.)

1. Seghesio- One of the oldest wineries in Sonoma. Has become a favorite of the families. Known for their Zinfandel (Rockpile is their best we tasted) but tried their Chianti this time and it was fantastic.
2. Mauritson - Took a recommendation by the woman at Seghesio and hit this first stop on the Dry Creek Road. Great surprise. Whites where excellent with the Savignon Blanc a pleasant surprise. Chardonnay was not too buttery and very refreshing. Red's where excellent as well. Buck Pasture blend stole the show for me, but their Cab and all Zins where great. Was not as excited about the Malbec as others. We enjoyed lunch here and the staff was friendly as could be. We took recommendations here that worked out all but one.....
3. Unti- One recommendation that plain sucked. Crowded, wine was bad and I am moving on
4. Sbragia - Last stop on Dry Creek Road. Great fine. View overlooked all of Dry Creek Valley. Wonderful gift shop where we did some Christmas Shop. Owner is the former winemaker for Berringer. They specialize in small batch mainly red, Italian varietal wines. Although the Savignon Blanc was fantastic. The Home Ranch Merlot and the Vins where stand outs (Gino's Zin was my favorite). Absolutely beautiful terrace.
5. Dutcher Crossing - All we tasted was fantastic with the Maple Vally Zin and Chardonnay my stand outs. Winery tasting room was a bit small but place was nice. Service staff were extremely friendly/
6. Yoakum Bridge - Small place, nice find. Only makes 5 wines, and all are reds. Tasting room would not fit more than 4 people and the guy who was tasting was a bit eccentric with no sense of humor. We later found out he was the owner. They did have great meatballs. All wines where good with the Cuvee the stand out for me.
7. Ridge - Quick tasting of Ridge. All we had here was great, but to be honest I can not recall what we tasted. Isabelle was ready to go at this point.

More to come

Halloween

Halloween was a great time at the Commander house. I swear each year more and more people show up for trick-or-treating. Most of the family went out with the kids, while Derrick and I sat on the front porch, had a little vino and beer and gave every kid we could a little grief. (i.e. one girl was dressed as a Brickhouse, so before she could get candy , we made her sing and dance the song. I'm sure she is scarred for life!)

Before that we had a great Fall Festival at the church, which is where these pictures are from. Great work Melissa and Jessica on that one.