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.
David Rudd, Floor Manager at our Woodbridge store, recently
visited California wine country on just such a trip with other Joe
Canal's team members. Here's his report:
This year, I experienced one of the perks of my job that I had most been looking forward to: my boss sent me to California Wine Country to tour some wineries as an industry professional. I had heard about trips like this from some of my colleagues - and I had really been looking forward to “my turn”.
It was an amazing trip. Our whirlwind tour of the Sonoma and Napa Valleys was thrilling. I visited six wineries in 3 days – and I tasted some of best wines on the market…and some that aren’t on the market!
Day 1:
Early morning trip to Philadelphia Airport was uneventful. Once we were checked in to the airline we were off and on our way. I remember thinking that the trip was going to be enlightening; at the start I was especially looking forward to the Coppola Winery and to the Cakebread Winery.
Coppola was the first one we visited. Right away I was impressed with the property. It was a grand, somewhat playful-looking estate that reminded me of a very charming castle. Coppola describes it as “a wine wonderland, a park of pleasure where people of all ages can enjoy all the best things in life – food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. A place to celebrate the love of life.” When we entered the iron gates, we were greeted by one of the hosts at Coppola. He showed us the tasting room and the “museum” that was situated in the main building on the property. We walked out to the vines nearby and got to taste zinfandel grapes from the vine. That was a first for me. They were sooo sweet. The time of year that we were in California is known as “crush”…this is when the grapes are harvested and crushed into the vats to become the wine of the new vintage. These zinfandel grapes were perfectly ripe and luscious. I really got a sense of the jamminess that is a hallmark of the namesake wine.
After the vineyard, we went into the facility itself. We passed through a door marked “Employees Only” and I knew that it was getting interesting. We saw the huge vats when the wines first begin to ferment. We met the head winemaker, Corey Beck, and got to chat briefly with him, then we got to hit the tasting room. So many good wines – but the standouts for me were the Director’s Chardonnay and the Director’s Cut Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet was fragrant and exotic. Very oaky and full bodied, it tasted so full of potential, I look forward to trying it again after letting a bottle (or two) age for a while. The Chardonnay was so tropical and succulent. It was transporting, in a way. Beautiful and creamy, I think it would be amazing with crab.
Dinner followed; it turns out that Coppola is one of the only wineries in Sonoma that has a restaurant. This is one not to miss, if you are in Sonoma, try to get a table here…the food is amazing. Chicken Mattone – wood fired chicken cooked under a brick – unforgettable. This one is a must visit!
The view at Coppola
Day 2:
Our second day found us in Somona’s St. Francis Winery. I loved the quaint environment of this winery; the beautiful countryside is gorgeous from this property. The building looks like a Spanish monastery in some ways. We looked out at the vineyards and enjoyed the late morning sunshine as we learned some of the history of the winery and business of winemaking from the host that gave us a tour. In the tasting room, I got to enjoy a few of St. Francis’ wines paired with a three course meal prepared by the private chef at the winery. My braised ribs were absolutely delicious next to the Old Vine Zinfandel. I fell in love with zinfandel all over again at this meal… This one had prominent notes of cedar, black raspberry jam and pepper. I had this one again right when I got home.
Main Building, St. Francis
Our next trip was to the Benziger Winery, near Glen Ellen in Sonoma. This is the part of the trip, I must confess, that truly inspired me. I was absolutely in awe of this place. Benziger is a bio-dynamic winery, which is to say, they take nothing from the land that they don’t replace – two-fold. There is a respect for the land and the terroir that is reverent and humble. The expression that they capture in their wines is wild and untamed. These wines very well may have changed my life. Our tour through the vineyard included a visit to the insectaries on the hillsides, a wine tasting in the midst of the vineyards, seeing a mother cow and her young calf, with an up-close and personal encounter with fermented cow poo. My favorite wines were the Tribute, the crown jewel in the Benziger collection, and the Sauvignon Blanc. The Tribute is complex and bold, a fullness that is only beginning to open up…a depth that will grow more riveting as time goes on. The Sauv was envigorating and refreshing at the same time. Lemon and pineapple, floral and herbal…you can taste the wind and the sun and bugs and the grass. It tastes so honest.
Benziger Winery
Day 3:
Our last day of travels took us first to Napa Valley and the Cakebread Winery. The wine was predictably good…you know what you’re getting from Cakebread, world class wine and all the class and elegance that goes with it. My favorite wine at Cakebread was the Dancing Bear Cabernet Sauvignon. I know that this wine will age gracefully…the vintage that we tasted was full, but bound to grow fuller. It has a lot of potential.
Dancing Bear Ranch at Cakebread
Right next door to Cakebread was Sequoia Grove, and that was our next stop. I liked the feeling at Sequoia Grove. It was friendly and familiar. The huge sequoia trees on the property towered over the buildings. I loved the relaxed atmosphere. The wines at Sequoia Grove are on the shelf now at our store and if you haven’t tried the Cabernet Sauvignon, you have got to give it a shot. Notes of clove, blackberries and vanilla are all over the luxurious tannins in this wine. There is a beautiful length to the finish.
Entry to Sequoia Grove
Our last winery of the trip was to Mumm Napa. Mumm Napa is a relative of the Mumm Winery in Champagne, France. The sparkling wines at Mumm Napa are made much in the same way as the Champagnes that made the genre famous. Mumm Napa uses the same grapes as the Champagne region as well as some California varietals that make their wines special and different from the traditional champagnes of France. My favorite wine at Mumm was the Cuvee M. The texture was rich and dense. Notes of young peaches, white pepper, and strawberry would blend beautifully with spicy food or dessert.
Vineyard at Mumm Napa
The trip wrapped up in San Francisco with an amazing dinner at the Epic Steakhouse on San Francisco Bay under the Bay Bridge. I loved my Wild Turkey Rye Sazerac! The light installation on the bridge was gorgeous, it was a perfect setting for the end of the trip. I look forward to my next opportunity to explore California wine country. If you get a chance to head out that way, try these wineries…all of them will leave you impressed.
David Rudd is a Floor Manager and resident mixologist at our Woodbridge store. Because we have so many great ingredients on our shelves, David added a POS program offering cocktail recipes. Below, David shares a couple of those recipes.
