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AUSTRIAN FRIENDS SPYING ON NAPA VINTNERS
We set up some tables at Miner's lovely balcony
overlooking the Napa Valley as we assembled a picnic.
Some homemade vittles were paired with some prosciutto and various salads from
Draeger's. The Dungeness Crab-Stuffed Artichokes seemed to confuse some of
the visitors.
I dragged along a bottle of wine from each Austrian producer.
Iby told us his 2001 Zweigelt is "a small vintage," but we really
enjoyed its delightfully peppery spice.
Mrs. Schmelz is quite a kitchen artist herself, so it's a bit scary serving up a
picnic to a fussy palate. No wonder Emily was nervous in pouring her wines
for these critical tasters.
But Miner wines are good quality and the group enjoyed tasting Sauvignon Blanc,
Sangiovese, Napa Cabernet and Monterey Pinot Noir.
Fresh fruit...some pears from Filoli and local watermelon.
Next stop was the Honig family winery.
Here we saw some 2004 vintage Sauvignon Blanc that had some "skin
contact." Christoph Neumeister, who makes Sauvignon, immediately
asked a bunch of questions about winemaker Kristin Belair's work.
He was pleased to learn that not all California winemaking is "black and
white." Like a good chef, Kristin is sensitive to the fruit and
vintage conditions, adapting to circumstances.
Meanwhile, the new Honig pup was also enthusiastic about the new vintage of
Sauvignon!
Never mind "points" or "scores," the wine already merits numerous tail wags.
And this is one Sauvignon Hound with a good nose for wine!
Honig, quite intelligently, has some large cooperage for its wines.
Michael divulges some secrets about how their gravity flow system works.
Everyone was relieved, since gravity functions the same at their own wineries,
much as it does at Honig's.
Kristin delves into the world of Sauvignon.
Not all wooden cooperage is intended to "flavor" the wine.
(The barrels in the background are those rated "100" by some wine
critic.)
The Austrians were amused by the presence of warning labels virtually everywhere
in America. This wooden tank has a warning label (in two languages, no
less!).
We did not ask for a permit, nor did we have any interest in entering this tank.
Drinking the wine contained therein? Well, we'll gladly embark upon that
task!
The Honig cellar is also home to the Patz & Hall wines.
They are filling these barrels with Chardonnay juice. One of the P&H
crew explained they fill them partially and need to check on the fill level so
the wine doesn't overflow out of the barrel.
Meanwhile, Michael Honig...who routinely has his hands full no matter where in
the world he is.
We then strolled out to look at their Rutherford Cabernet vines.
Kristin tastes the grapes, being sensitive to the development of the flavors,
not to mention sugar and acidity.
Kristin told us they have four distinct clones of Cabernet at Honig.
"Clones 337 and 15 tend to give us more dark fruit notes. Clones 10
and 6 contribute more red fruit elements, so we can really create a unique blend
with these."
I can't recall the clone number of this Cabernet, but the one depicted below is
the famous "Clone 6."
Clone 6 Cabernet is marked by its very small berries and rather loose
bunches. Grown in Rutherford soil, this is a magnificent addition and one
of Kristin Belair's "secrets" in making Honig Cabernet.
You've heard the German beer drinking song: Roll out the Barrel...
Monika Schmelz gave the crew a hand, showing them how an Austrian rolls out the
barrel.
Michael Honig then got busy and rolled out a bottle of his 2001 Napa Cabernet.
The crew was impressed by Honig's wonderfully fancy wine labels.
We then motored back to San Francisco, Herr Morandell having made an appointment
to show the crew's various wines to Chuck and Paige at The Jug Shop.
Chuck explained to the group that he's a big fan of Australian wines, greeting
the ensemble with a "G'day, mates!"
"No, no, no...these are AUSTRIAN WINES. They're not from kangaroo
country!"
Paige knew where the wines were from, however.
Chuck did, too, of course, but he's worth teasing since he's such a character.
Then we adjourned to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
The service and cuisine are not especially stellar and the wine list is a
disaster.
But they do have good beef.
The stemware, at least, is of appropriate style.
These guys were busy!
And so we had a lovely day!!!
The following morning the crew made a trek to our shop, showing their wines to
Ellen and Bob.
I poured a flock of California wines for the Austrians.
...and then they departed for
more touring in San Francisco!
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