On occasion, Joe Canal’s staff members are able to go on trips to meet the producers of the items we sell. Whether we travel to the great wine regions, or any other location, the trips are educational, great for team-building, and, of course, they’re fun.
Kevin Saunders, Wine Manager at our Lawrenceville store, recently visited California wine country on just such a trip with other Joe Canal's team members. Here's his report:
Kevin Saunders, Wine Manager at our Lawrenceville store, recently visited California wine country on just such a trip with other Joe Canal's team members. Here's his report:
Day 1 October 14
It’s Monday at 5:00am and I’m up very early to catch a flight to San Francisco, our final destination being Wine Country. The flight was smooth sailing, and five and half hours later, we are in beautiful San Francisco. After getting the car, it’s off to Trinchero winery. As we get closer, I almost forget how magical this place it really is. We arrive at Trinchero for a tour and tasting. The entire winery has been renovated to resemble a place straight out of Tuscany, Italy. They had some lovely wines which we tasted in a room that looked like it was from an Italian villa. Wow!
Trinchero or Tuscany? You decide!
It’s off to Sutter Home mansion to get ready for dinner at Etoile, a stunning restaurant on the grounds of the Domaine Chandon. Dinner was fantastic, and all of us talked about the day and how we looked forward to the rest of the week.
Our home at Sutter Home
Day 2 October 15
80 year old vine at Hess Winery
We are up and off to Hess Winery, located on Mt. Veeder, which is the second highest point in all of Napa. The drive up was stunning as we climbed to the top. Up the 5 mile climb to arrive at Hess winery where we are greeted by Larry, who was a wealth of knowledge. He begins to tell us that Hess has 900 acres and that they have 25 different soil types. This place is spectacular with vines that are as much as 100 years old.
Hess Winery, Main Building
Once owned by the Christian Brothers, the property is now owned by Don Hess, a Swiss billionaire who happens to collect modern art. The tour of the gallery we received was truly something special. After the tour and tasting, we are served an incredible lunch and had some of their finest wines. For example, I loved the 2011 Hess Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon. It featured lovely aromas of cinnamon, currants and boysenberry which transfer to the palate. The back end is supported by tobacco and jammy fruits. Look for this on our store shelves. What a beautiful winery. We almost don’t want to leave!It’s time to visit Stag’s Leap Winery, in the famous Stag’s leap district of Napa. We arrive and pull up to the Manor House, an amazing stone building looking like it’s fit for a king. I have followed their wines for years, and love them. The grounds are like something out of a fairy tale. They have identified a hundred different soil types, which means that everything will grow there. The winery consists of about 100 acres planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Petite Sirah, along with 13 other varietals. The first vintage was in 1893. Once owned by the Chase family from Chase bank, the house was built for hosting parties and to escape from San Francisco. Not too shabby!
The Manor House at Stag's Leap
Our tasting was on the porch over looking the vineyard, and what a view it was! This place is amazing. The wines are as good as ever, with the Petite Sirah taking my gold medal. Wilson loved it so much, he bought a bottle. This place was really hard to leave.
Off to Franciscan for a tour, tasting and overnight stay. We arrive and check in to the guest house, which came equipped with wine, wine and more wine! The house is stunning, and also has a bocce court for which Brian sets the game for an evening match. Their wines have always been something special to me since I first started drinking them 25 years ago. And, as always, they were delicious. The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon had a wonderful nose of ripe plums, blackberry and cassis. Intense flavors of currant, dark cherry and boysenberry roll across the palate. It's aged twenty months in oak, giving it rich tannins and a toasty oak finish. But my personal favorite was the 2009 Magnificat. It's complex and inviting, with fruit aromas of cassis, ripe plum and blackberry. Hints of vanilla, cocoa and roasted coffee. Rich and round with supple full body. Brimming with flavors of dark berries, cherries, and sage. The finish is long and layered with toasty oak Both of these beauties are on the shelves at Joe Canal's. Next was dinner at 6:00pm with Franciscan’s personal chef. What a meal it was! After dinner was the moment Brian was waiting for: the bocce match! The next morning, the losing team made breakfast for the group. I must say, it was quite good to be served that breakfast!
Our tasting was on the porch over looking the vineyard, and what a view it was! This place is amazing. The wines are as good as ever, with the Petite Sirah taking my gold medal. Wilson loved it so much, he bought a bottle. This place was really hard to leave.
Off to Franciscan for a tour, tasting and overnight stay. We arrive and check in to the guest house, which came equipped with wine, wine and more wine! The house is stunning, and also has a bocce court for which Brian sets the game for an evening match. Their wines have always been something special to me since I first started drinking them 25 years ago. And, as always, they were delicious. The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon had a wonderful nose of ripe plums, blackberry and cassis. Intense flavors of currant, dark cherry and boysenberry roll across the palate. It's aged twenty months in oak, giving it rich tannins and a toasty oak finish. But my personal favorite was the 2009 Magnificat. It's complex and inviting, with fruit aromas of cassis, ripe plum and blackberry. Hints of vanilla, cocoa and roasted coffee. Rich and round with supple full body. Brimming with flavors of dark berries, cherries, and sage. The finish is long and layered with toasty oak Both of these beauties are on the shelves at Joe Canal's. Next was dinner at 6:00pm with Franciscan’s personal chef. What a meal it was! After dinner was the moment Brian was waiting for: the bocce match! The next morning, the losing team made breakfast for the group. I must say, it was quite good to be served that breakfast!
Day 3 October 16
It’s off to the Domaine Chandon in Yountville, the domestic house of Moet Chandon. It is also the home of Thomas Keller’s world renowned restaurant, The French Laundry.
Domaine Chandon
We now move on from Napa Valley and take the 90-minute drive to Simi Winery, which is deep in Sonoma county. Simi Winery was started in 1876 by brothers from Italy, named Guiseppe and Peatra Simi. Unfortunately, both died from the flu in 1904. That left it to their 18 year old sister, Isabella, to run the show. She has been credited with what is called the first tasting room in Sonoma, and are now one of the biggest producers in the county. Their wines are done in a typical Sonoma style. They are a lot lighter and tend to have less oak than Napa wines. We tasted some of their oldest Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons, all of which were super! And I also really enjoyed the Simi 2010 Sonoma Pinot Noir. It has a luscious ruby hue with a bright edge. There are soft, subtle aromas of raspberry, cranberry, gingerbread and violets. The wine displays flavors that softly roll across the palate of cherry, red fruit and baked bread, along with hints of wild flowers and ginger. Nice structure with good acidity. This is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite wineries. In fact, he filmed his movie "Birds" in Sonoma.
At Simi
Day 4 October 17
Our last day in the land of wine, and I will be very sad to leave. We're off to Gloria Ferrer for another tasting and tour. We arrive to a huge, sprawling winery, part of a network of 18 wineries all around the world. There are 335 acres of planted vines here, which consist of 2/3 pinot noir and 1/3 chardonnay. Our tour guide is very knowledgeable and shows us just about everything there is to making these wines. After the tour, we are treated to a tasting overlooking the winery; what a view! All the wines are lovely. If there was one sparkling wine that stood out at Gloria Ferrer it was the 2004 Royal Cuvee. Ripe stone fruit and citrus intermingled with toast,butter and yeasty aromas.A creamy texture with hints of butterscotch, almonds, pears, apples and lemon.A fantastic example of what California can produce, and it's available in the store for under $25.00. But I love their Pinot Noirs so much that I came home with two bottles!
Our next stop is San Francisco where we will be meeting up with Cameron Hughes for dinner. We carry many wines under his name, along with his other labels, like the Zin Your Face zinfandel. As I leave Sonoma and Napa, I once again think about how special and magical this place really is. We finally reach San Francisco, one of my favorite cities, to have dinner with Cameron. We meet at the Epic Grill under the Golden Gate Bridge where we are treated to a spectacular dinner and interesting light show on the bridge.
It’s time to get some sleep for a very early morning flight home. This trip was everything I thought it would be and more! I can’t wait until I get back there again!
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