Two Guys From Napa | with Wine Country Travel Advice for Napa Valley and Other Regions

A Rosé With Purpose: Helping Wine Country Wildfire Recovery

Posted on April 11, 2018 by CraigTG

If you’re looking for an easy way to help the ongoing wine country wildfire recovery in Napa County, Sonoma County, Ventura County and Santa Barbara County, we have the perfect opportunity for you to consider: the 2017 Hi No Tori Rosé.

2017 Hi No Tori Rosé

Kanpai Wines has just released their first wine: the 2017 Hi No Tori Rosé. It is a Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by famed winemaker Steve Matthiasson from grapes grown on Meadowbrook Farm in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. We recently had the opportunity to taste the wine ourselves and found it to be delicious! The wine has strawberry, ripe cherries, juicy watermelon and a slightly tart plum finish on the palate, all structured within vibrant acidity, and bright mixed red berries and a hint of mint on the nose. This is a Rosé made in the Provencal style with an abv (alcohol by volume) of just 12.5%. Only 600 cases were produced and the wine retails for $25 per bottle. Given its structure, the Hi No Tori Rosé will pair with a variety of foods – we personally enjoyed it with a Wild Fennel Braised Pork Shoulder. We recommend that you don’t serve this wine too cold as its beautiful aromatics and nuances of flavor will be lost. So, please take this wine out of your wine cooler or refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.
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V2V Turns XX: 2018 Vineyard to Vintner Weekend

Posted on April 1, 2018 by CraigTG

Steltzner 2014 SLD Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon fans take heed because the 2018 Vineyard to Vintner (also known as V2V), Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District’s annual celebration, is all set for the last weekend in April. This is the 20^th year for this very popular Food and Wine Weekend and the tickets are selling fast. Saturday of that weekend offers a passport-style Open House event at wineries throughout the district and on Sunday the wineries all gather at Regusci Winery for a Farm-to-Table lunch which includes a sneak preview of the upcoming 2015 vintage release.

On April 28, from 10 am to 4 pm on April 28, you can enjoy Open House celebrations at any of sixteen Stags Leap District wineries including historic properties such as Chimney Rock Winery, Clos Du Val, Pine Ridge Vineyards, Shafer Vineyards, Silverado Vineyards and Stags’ Leap Winery. This is also a rare chance to visit wineries only open to the public once a year (during V2V) such as Ilsley Vineyards, Lindstrom Wines and Malk Family Vineyards.

Excellent Chardonnay, Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc from Stags Leap District

The internationally famous Stags Leap District produces Cabernet Sauvignon wines critically acclaimed for their lush fruit and soft tannins with complex layers of flavor. Although over 80% of the grapevines here are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, we have found plenty of other stellar wines in the area. Some of our favorites at prior Vineyard to Vintner (v2v) events were the Taylor Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Pine Ridge Vineyards Le Petit Clos Chardonnay, Regusci Winery Mary’s Cuvée Chardonnay, Malk Family Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir, Chimney Rock Winery Cabernet Franc, Clos Du Val Cabernet Franc, Stags’ Leap Winery Twelve Falls Red Wine Blend and Steltzner Vineyards Malbec.

The 2018 Vineyard to Vintner District-wide event will provide everyone a chance to explore winery caves, savor special barrel tastings, and enjoy food and wine pairings not available to the general public. Keep reading and we’ll give you some more details about this fun and enjoyable weekend.

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bASH 2018: Food and Wine Compete Again

Posted on March 11, 2018 by CraigTG

Deconstructed Wellington

If you’re a fan of awesome wine and food pairings then you should clear your calendar for this year’s bASH 2018, coming to St. Helena on April 7 between 6 pm and 8:30 pm. This is much more than just a wine tasting event: it’s an annual showcase for this northern Napa Valley community in which over 30 premium wineries that are part of the Appellation St Helena organization join forces with local culinary talent to compete for your favor. That’s right: if you attend the bASH 2018 event, you get to eat, drink AND judge.

Yewell Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

bASH 2018 will feature tastes of wines from wineries such as Anomaly Vineyards, Ballentine Vineyards, Benessere Vineyards, Calafia Cellars, Del Dotto Vineyards, Monticello Vineyards, Parry Cellars, Pellet Estate, St. Helena Winery, Stanton Vineyards, Taplin Cellars and Titus Vineyards served alongside delicious food offerings from participants such as Acacia House, Goose & Gander, Market and PRESS.

However, most of the food pairings at bASH 2018 will actually come from “Rising Star” students at the Culinary Institute of America who will be creating dishes from scratch specifically designed to complement the wine that they have been matched with. This makes your evening of wine sipping and food tasting a challenge as you keep trying to figure out which combination (and team) deserves your vote(s) the most.

Lemongrass Lamb Kofta

In fact, our favorite combination at last year’s bASH started with a dish prepared by CIA Student Chefs Jessica Haryanto and Chase Evans, a Deconstructed Wellington (Beef Tenderloin, Foie Gras Mousse, Prosciutto di Parma, Duxelles, Crispy Leeks, Perigord Black Truffle on Puff Pastry with a Cabernet Reduction) which was paired with a delightful Pellet Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Three other excellent small bites from CIA Student Chefs last year were Coconut Milk Red Snapper Ceviche, Smoked Hanger Steak with a Cabernet Sauvignon Gastrique, and Lemongrass Lamb Kofta.
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Travel Advice: Napa Valley’s St. Helena Appellation

Posted on February 24, 2018 by CraigTG

Appellation Name: St. Helena Appellation

Where: Napa County in California

Officially Established: September 11, 1995

Location: In northern Napa Valley, centered around the city of St. Helena, between the Mayacamas Mountans (to the west) and the Vaca Range (to the east). The boundaries are approximately defined by Bale Lane to the north, Zinfandel Lane to the South, along parts of Crystal Springs Road and Conn Valley Road to the east, and the 400 ft. elevation line marking the west. For an exact, 18-step description of the official boundaries, please go here. To see a map of the area, please go here.

Pellet Estate, winery in St. Helena Appellatiion

Pellet Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Background: St. Helena is considered to be the birthplace of the Napa Valley wine industry. In 1861, Charles Krug established a winery just north of the town of St. Helena and two years later Henry Pellet purchased land and started his own winery just south of town. By the 1870’s, Napa Valley wine industry challenges included (a) the large presence of French wines in the marketplace due to low tariffs, (b) customer perception that Mission grapes used in winemaking resulted in an inferior product, (c) financial issues related to shipping and storage costs, and (d) the arrival of Phylloxera.

In 1875, Mr. Krug and Mr. Pellet along with Seneca Ewer (former California State Senator now living in Napa Valley) helped form the St. Helena Viticultural Club. Within two months of its formation, the organization began to take on significant projects such as the need to incorporate, changes in Revenue law, understanding and addressing Phylloxera, the creation of a large local wine cellar, and the value of planting foreign grape varietals instead of Mission grapes.
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2018 World of Pinot Noir: It’s a New Day

Posted on February 11, 2018 by CraigTG

2018 World of Pinot Noir Glass It’s time to indulge and celebrate when Pinot Noir producers and lovers from around the world converge at the 2018 World of Pinot Noir at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara on March 2^nd and 3^rd. Au Bon Climat, Freeman Winery, Maison Louis Latour, Merry Edwards Winery and Stephen Ross Wine Cellars will lead the parade of over 250 wineries participating in expert-led Tasting Seminars, Luncheons, Dinners, Parties and Grand Tastings. Depending on your personal interest, you can purchase tickets for a single event, a day’s worth of events, or a whole weekend of activities.

As you probably know, the Santa Barbara region was challenged recently with natural disasters, including wildfires and mudslides, with some tragic impacts. However, the fires are out, the roads are clear, the water is safe to drink and the scenery is beautiful. So please come eat, drink, stay and enjoy yourself as you support local recovery and relief efforts.

The 2018 World of Pinot Noir (WOPN) offers not just one, but two separate Grand Tastings with over 100 different producers at each session. This is a comprehensive chance to “get current” on the latest wines made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in places such as Anderson Valley, Los Carneros, Russian River Valley, Santa Maria, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Ynez, Sonoma Coast, and the Willamette Valley. On the international front, the WOPN Grand Tastings will also include wineries from Austria (Circo Vino) Chile (Matetic Vineyards), Hungary (Nimrod Wines), New Zealand (New Zealand Winegrowers), South Africa (Botanica Wines) and Spain (Alta Pavina).

The Willamette Valley will be well-represented at the 2018 World of Pinot Noir, with wineries Anne Amie, Archery Summit, Brooks, Coeur de Terre, Erath, Flâneur Wines, Gran Moraine, Montinore Estate, Nicolas-Jay, The Four Graces and Van Duzer Vineyards all attending and pouring their wines. There will also be a seminar and luncheon exploring the connections between wineries in Oregon and Burgundy, and a special five-course dinner on March 3^rd featuring wines from this region.
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Helping Wine Country Recovery Without Leaving The City: November 8-9

Posted on October 29, 2017 by CraigTG

Napa Valley, in need of wine country recovery If you want to taste outstanding wine and do a good deed all at the same time, there are three events coming to San Francisco you should know about because they offer ways to help with wine country recovery. The recent North Bay wildfires have made significant impacts on the people and property of Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties and you can help with the areas’ recoveries. The Atlas Fire burned 51,624 acres and the Redwood Valley Fire burned 36,523 acres, but fortunately now both of those are 100% contained. Other major fires in the region are all the way up to 98% contained: Tubbs Fire (36,807 acres), Pocket Fire (17,357 acres) and the Nuns/Adobe/Norrbom/Pressley/Partrick Fire (56,556 acres).

What’s needed now is for visitors to travel to wine country and invest in the local economy. Help can be provided by spending money at local wineries, restaurants, shops and hotels. Alternatively, several charities are accepting financial contributions. If you’d like to plan a trip to Napa, Sonoma and/or Mendocino Counties, you can just click on the navigation bar above at “Favorites By Wine Region” and follow the drop-down menus to see our personal recommendations.

Wine Barrels But, what if you can’t come to wine country right now? Well, we’re pleased to share that wine country recovery opportunities are coming directly to the residents of and visitors to the City of San Francisco. During the second week of November, three different wine tasting events take place in the City and your attendance (and possible wine purchases) will support individuals and businesses in these North Bay wine regions. Please review the information below, go have a wonderful time and maybe even start on your holiday shopping.
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2017 Napa Valley Film Festival: Catch a Film, Help the Recovery

Posted on October 20, 2017 by CraigTG

2017 Napa Family Film Festival The official program for the 2017 Napa Valley Film Festival was recently released and if you’re a fan of film festivals you should definitely think about attending. If you’ve never been before, what makes a film festival special is the live participation of writers, directors, actors and producers in Q&A sessions following practically every screening. If you enjoy excellent films, great wine, and outstanding food, then you will find ways to enjoy all three of them at the Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) between November 8-12, 2017.

In addition, this would be an excellent way to revisit Napa Valley and see how much it was (or was not) impacted by the recent wildfires. Despite the recent tragedy, the residents are strong and determined to recover and rebuild so come see for yourself how things are going. We will all be forever grateful to the thousands of firefighters, police officers, and other public safety professionals who helped mitigate the damage in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties as much as they did.

As the local community recovers, the Napa Valley Film Festival is supporting these efforts in two ways. First, they are donating 10% of Pass sales between October 16 and throughout the days of the Festival towards the Napa Valley Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund. Secondly, the NVFF’s Presenting Sponsor Lexus will be offering 1000 free tickets to those impacted by the fires. For more information, please refer to the NVFF website.

Pumpkin Tarts from Sweetie Pies at NVFF Gala

If you’ve attended the Festival in the past, you’ll find many things the same (opening and closing night films, celebrity tributes, award ceremonies, the annual Gala and the Friday Night Party at the Martin Showroom in St. Helena). But, there are also some changes this year for the 2017 Napa Valley Film Festival: new pass packages, more screening line queueing categories, and new screening venues. Keep reading and we’ll try to convince you to grab that credit card and start ordering right now.
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