The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, site of The Appellation Trail: Tasting Napa Valley

On November 18 we had the pleasure of participating in The Appellation Trail: Tasting Napa Valley, a food and wine event showcasing about 150 Napa Valley chefs and wineries.  This evening event was held at the CIA at Greystone, part of the Flavor! Napa Valley weekend.

Was there great food?  Of course there was.  For us, the best dishes were the following:

Cured Ham Sandwiches on Cheddar Biscuits with Fresno Chile Jam from Stephen Barber at Farmstead in St Helena

Trio of Fish Tacos from Matt Spector at JoLe in Calistoga

Congee Clam Chowder with Kabocha, Nuoc Chom, and Applewood Smoked Bacon from Masaharu Morimoto at Morimoto Napa in Napa

Whipped Sweet Potato Cake with Curried Marshmallows and Raisins from Christopher Kostow at The Restaurant at Meadowood in St Helena

Beet Carpaccio Salad from Jordan Mackey at Restaurant Cuvée in Napa

and the Five Dot Ranch Beef Sirloin Carpaccio with Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Arugula, and Truffle Vinaigrette from Brian Whitmer at VINeleven in Napa

The Appellation Trail offered great wine as well, which was not a surprise given the presence of Baldacci Family Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Clos du Val, Cornerstone Cellars, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Nickel & Nickel, Pride Mountain Vineyards, Provenance Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, and St. Clement Vineyards.  What was a treat at the event was discovering wineries we had not tasted from before, and seeing a few we had not been to in a long time.

Based on the samples we had, these are some places that are now on our “visit soon” list.  Most of these wineries are not open to the public, or are only open for tasting by appointment.  We’ve listed their primary wines and addresses below for you, as these are establishments we also highly recommend you try out for yourself:

Arns Winery – Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  601 Muno Road, St Helena  (707) 963-3429

Chappellet Vineyard and Winery – Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and a Mountain Cuvee made from Bordeaux varietals.  1581 Sage Canyon Road, St Helena  (707) 286-4219

Chiarello Family Vineyards – Cabernet Sauvignon, ZInfandel, and Petite Sirah.  (707) 256-0750.   You can taste these wines at NapaStyle Wine Bar, 6525 Washington Street, Yountville, (707) 945-1229 or at Michael Chiarello’s restaurant Bottega in Yountville about 10 feet away, (707) 945-1050

Kristine Ashe Vineyards – Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  7688 St Helena Highway, Oakville  (707) 982-8000

Lagier Meredith Vineyard –  Syrah and Mondeuse currently (Malbec and Zinfandel in the future).  4967 Dry Creek Road, Napa  (707) 253-0653

Meander Wines – Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  1770 Dean York Lane, St Helena  (707) 963-3773

Moone-Tsai Winery – Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Merlot-based Hillside Blend.  2921 Silverado Trail, Napa  (707) 265-6782

Schramsberg Vineyards – Ten Different Sparkling Wines here.  1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga  (800) 877-3623

Staglin Family Vineyards – Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and INEO, a Bordeaux Style Blend.  1570 Bella Oaks Lane, Rutherford  (707) 963-3994

Stags’ Leap Winery – Viognier, Chardonnay, Rose, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and a Petite Sirah-based field blend called Ne Cede Malis.  6150 Silverado Trail, Napa  (800) 395-2441

We loved attending this event in 2011 and can’t wait to attend next year!  If you were there, please let us know what you felt the highlights were.