Please Bring Me My Wine

On occasion, Joe Canal’s staff members are able to go on trips to meet the producers of the items that 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. Oh, bonus points for knowing what song lyrics were used in the title of this post.

Kevin Saunders, Wine Manager at Lawrenceville, recently visited Napa and Sonoma on just such a trip with other Joe Canal's team members. Here's his report:

We arrived safely in San Francisco, heading out to one of my favorite places in the country: Napa Valley. We stopped quickly to check into our hotel, then we hit the road again. Our first stop was the William Hill Estate Winery, which consists of 200 plus acres. Their primary focus is Cabernet and Chardonnay, as well as Sauvignon Blanc. We started off by tasting the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, with its beautiful bouquet of mango, cut grass and kiwi. We learned that some of the locals refer to Sauvignon Blanc as breakfast wine. Next on the list was a 2013 Chardonnay from Carneros, a rich and lush wine with butterscotch and pineapple with sweet oak on the finish. That was one of the best that they produce. Then it was on to their 2012 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, which was my favorite.We were then treated to an amazing lunch, during which they poured their Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Next stop was the Louis Martini Winery. They mainly produce red wines, and what a job they do. Louis Martini came to America at age 13 and became deeply interested in the wine business. He went back to Italy to obtain a wine certificate, earning a perfect score on the exam. Upon returning to the US, he began making wine for churches, medicinal purposes and, of course, his personal use. We started out tasting the 2014 Rose, which was wonderful. The 2011 Monte Rosso, a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot, was an amazing wine, produced from 150 year old vines. We finished off the tasting with their Sonoma and Napa Valley Cabernets. These are the wines they are known for, and are both excellent. Those two wines are also available in our stores.

We then traveled over to J Vineyards & Winery They are best known for their sparkling wines, but they also produce some lovely Pinot Noir. Judy Jordan, from the Jordan family, founded this winery. We started off with their rose and worked thru to the brut. The wines are clean and crisp. I was really impressed with the 2013 Russian River Pinot Noir, displaying intense aromas and flavors of raspberry, strawberry and cola.

Next on our agenda was the MacMurray Ranch Winery, with it's sprawling 1500 acres. TV actor Fred MacMurray purchased the property in 1941, before selling it to Gallo in 1996. This place was truly special. The tasting room was in an old barn, which had redwood trees on both sides of the entrance. One of my favorite spots on the entire trip was a place they called High Vineyard, which sits above the Russian River. There, we tasted a 2012 Napa Valley Chardonnay, a Pinot Gris and a fantastic Pinot Noir from the Russian River appellation.

Darioush

We had some time to ourselves the next day, so we decided to visit Darioush. This is as opulent a winery as you can find. Darioush Khaled is a true rags to riches story. He defected to the US as a young boy and started selling fruit and cheese on the roadside in Southern California. He eventually grew that into a supermarket chain. We had the royal treatment here, from tasting their amazing wines to seeing Mr. Khaled's private wine cellar, consisting of some 8000 bottles. The one wine that did it for me was a dessert wine, which takes 5 years to produce. This was made for his wife, since it was her favorite.

The last two days of our trip were spent going from winery to winery. Our first stop was at Ferrari-Carano, with a spectacular European style chateau as the tasting room. The grounds on this property were something to see. We tasted their 2013 Sonoma Chardonnay and 2012 Russian River Chardonnay. I really enjoyed the latter one, with its rich hazelnut and butterscotch flavors. We then moved onto to the Cabernet. I felt that the 2013 Reserve Cabernet was a standout. Lovely dark blueberry and blackberry flavors, with some earthiness on the finish. This resembled a Bordeaux wine. The last wine we tasted was their dessert wine, called Eldorado Noir, and it's only available at the winery. This was unlike anything I'd ever tasted, with intense aromas and flavors of raisin, blackberry, honey and licorice. Just WOW!

Next, we were off to the Simi Winery, founded in 1876 by Italian brothers Giuseppe and Pietro Simi. They started out in San Francisco, and then moved to Healdsburg in 1881. We were treated to a delicious lunch, where we tasted several of their wines. The one that I enjoyed the most was the 2012 Simi Landslide Cabernet, with its big, intense flavors of dark chocolate, crushed almonds, cassis and ripe blueberry.

Chateau St. Jean

The team at Chateau St. Jean had a private tasting table for us, with food to pair. All of the wines we tasted were from their private cellar. We started with an outstanding 2012 Private Reserve Chardonnay, displaying elegant flavors of crushed nuts, pear, and caramel glazed apples. We then tasted a 2013 Pinot Noir which also showed well. The meal was finished off with some of their old Cabernet's. Unfortunately, all of these wines are only sold at the winery.

Our final stop was at Gloria Ferrar Caves & Vineyards. While they're known for their sparkling wines, they also produce some amazing Pinot Noir. We were treated to some cheese and nuts while sitting on the patio, which had breathtaking views of the property. One of the wines I really enjoyed was their 2013 Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir. It was a beautiful, lush wine with deep dark cherry, raspberry and sandalwood flavors. I actually purchased 2 bottles.

I highly recommend a visit to Napa and Sonoma, whether you're into wines or not. These beautiful and amazing places should be on your bucket list.

Kevin's Cali Trip

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:

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!

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

Domaine Chandon is very different that the other places we've visited, and it's also their 40th anniversary. I have never tasted their still wines before, and I was looking forward to that. The tasting room looked like a New York City wine club. Pretty cool! My favorite was the Pinot Noir; YUMMY! They are, however, known for their sparkling wines, and they are quite good. The Non-Vintage Rose, for example, shows intense, ripe strawberry, juicy watermelon and red cherry aromas and flavors that are interwoven with apple, pear and stone fruit, along with a creamy finish that's both structured and vibrant.

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!