Even if you are a rookie when it comes to wine, you are more than likely to have heard of the Napa Valley. If not through its recent movie appearances in Sideways and Bottle Shock, but because you will no doubt have seen the word ‘Napa’ on a label in a supermarket. It will be on some £5 bottle with dubious contents, and if you ventured into buying it without thinking, you would be forgiven for thinking that all Napa wines taste horrible.
And that is this region’s biggest problem in the UK. We all know that every wine region produces horrific wine, and Napa would be no different, but because America is an English speaking country with easy to understand labels, they can’t hide behind a bundle of words that the average Joe doesn’t understand. Buy a bad wine from this region and you see two simple words – Napa Valley - and that brand stays in your memory as an unpleasant experience.
To try and rectify this problem… sorry, to take on this challenge (I forgot you aren’t allowed to use the word problem anymore, it is challenge or ‘task ahead’), Napa Valley Vintners came to Edinburgh to teach the teachers. To give wine retailers, journalists, sommeliers and wine educators the chance to meet the people, taste the wines and learn about this small (and yes, I mean small – one eighth of the size of Bordeaux) wine making region on the West Coast.
Potted History
Although termed as ‘the new world’, America’s wine making traditions go back centuries, as does the Napa Valley’s. Widely credited as the pioneer of Napa, Charles Krug established the valley’s first commercial winery in 1861, and the boom followed soon after. Then Napa went through a period of many ‘issues’! Phylloxera knocked out many producers, and then in 1920 prohibition was enacted and many vineyards were abandoned, and then there was the depression and the Second World War as well. In 1944, a group of vintners formed a group to share ideas on winemaking which was the first stepping stone towards the trade organisation, Napa Valley Vintners.
Although termed as ‘the new world’, America’s wine making traditions go back centuries, as does the Napa Valley’s. Widely credited as the pioneer of Napa, Charles Krug established the valley’s first commercial winery in 1861, and the boom followed soon after. Then Napa went through a period of many ‘issues’! Phylloxera knocked out many producers, and then in 1920 prohibition was enacted and many vineyards were abandoned, and then there was the depression and the Second World War as well. In 1944, a group of vintners formed a group to share ideas on winemaking which was the first stepping stone towards the trade organisation, Napa Valley Vintners.
What I didn’t know about the region is that 95% of Napa’s vineyards are family owned. Now immediately, you could say “yes, but Gallo is family owned and it is massive”, and you’d be right, but a more interesting statistic is that 70% of these family run wines are small producers, making less than 5000 cases of wine every year (about a third of Chateau Lafite Rothschild), so these are boutique wineries, often selling out through their popular mailing lists. A majority of these producers are not faceless corporations, they are families, and if you rock up at the cellar door it is highly likely someone with the surname on the bottle they produce will be there to greet you.
Four wineries were represented at the masterclass, and three of the four people had a surname of the company they represent. Michael Honig, who, at the age of 22 took control of his family’s vineyard and grew Honig Vineyard & Winery to it’s current successful status, some 25 years later. Peter Franus founded his winery in 1987, producing a Zinfandel, after spending numerous years as a winemaker for other companies, and Molly Kenward is the Edinburgh University educated daughter of Tor Kenward who started his self named wine company in 2001 after over a quarter of a century working at Beringer. The only family winery without a blood relative representing them was Jones Family Vineyards which was represented by Daniel Bailey, a wine collector that phoned up the company to complain about being allocated only three bottles and ended up marrying one of founder Rick Jones’ daughters!
Starting with Honig’s wines, we had a 2008 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, it had a light grass and a slight melon sweetness on the nose. A faint oily texture on the palate, very soft and then then pithy elements with chalk flavours come through. I’m not a massive fan of Californian Sauvignon Blancs, and I really am not a fan of oaked Sauvignons, regardless of where it comes from, but this is actually quite tasty. Well balanced, a nice clean finish and well integrated alcohol. 8/10
The second wine we tasted from this producer was the 2006 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon. A cream aroma which coats cherries, strawberries and blackcurrant. A little chocolate and, almost, a warm honey element with mint on the nose. The palate has a leather and spice element up front ith some more cherry, lots of vegetal elements and sweet berry fruit. A long, dry finish with light tannin. I like this and I’d quite happily pay forty bucks for it. 9/10
Tor Kenward’s 2006 Mast Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon had a lovely sweet aroma, but with some meatier elements to it, almost baked fruit pie filling. A little bit of earthy fruit on the palate, with herbs galore and cherry stone on the finish. Not much tannin, and a little warm alcohol at the end, not spoiling things, just adding another layer. 8.5/10. The 2003 Tor Kenward Cimarossa Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon had a lot of cocoa, chocolate, and a bit of Tayberry. Lots of baked fruit pie on the nose with lots of earth, green pepper hints and a plum stone flavour and a touch of spicy heat. The palate was very good, with lots of sweet fruit on the finish. A good wine. 8/10
Peter Franus’ wines look funky, and they taste great! His 2006 Brandlin Vineyard Mount Veeder Zinfandel actually contains 8% Charbono, Mourvedre and Carignane and you get sweet cherries and raspberries on the nose, all dusted with cocoa and some powdered cinnamon. Exquisitely balanced, with stone fruit and light liquorice elements are gorgeous. 9/10. His 2005 Brandlin Vineyard Mount Veeder Mourvedre is outstanding, and so interesting. Some earthy vegetal elements come up front with some spice and then you get some cherry fruit and a bit of concentrated strawberry. The palate is rocky - almost wet sandstone - with a cabbagey element (in a good way) and a load of pepper. Then you get cherry and plum skin flavours, with just a hint of heat on the finish. I really love this wine. 9.5/10. A refreshing change to see something that isn't a Zin or a Cabernet, and his wines are funky looking, yet understated, perfection in a bottle.
Finally from Jones Family Vineyards, were a pair of outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2006 ‘Three Sisters’ had a gorgeous cherry and boot polish aroma with herbs and eucalyptus. There is some green pepper on the palate, a lovely plum and cherry stone flavour, dusted with white pepper and liquorice. This wine is Bordeaux-esque, it has structure, with subtle fruit that just begs to be drunk with food. 9/10. The second Cabernet was the 2006 Jones Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a richer, sweeter aroma than the first wine, but with some more intense eucalyptus, chocolate and sweeter fruit. That isn’t to say that this is a big, porno wine, far from it, but look at it like a hotter year Bordeaux! Gorgeous leather aromas on the palate with mint, some cherry and cranberry dryness coming through. Then you get a bramble element, some spice and white pepper coating it. Simply, a great wine. 9.5/10
Meeting the producers and tasting some of their wares proved three things to me. Firstly, Napa produces truely fine wine, and it isn't just a handful of producers doing it, there are hundreds. Secondly, Napa still needs to work hard in promoting their products in the UK but getting the trade on side through events like the one I attended is a good start. And finally, tolerating the amorous couple on the train was really worth it!
With thanks to Napa Valley Vintners, Michael Honig, Molly Kenward, Peter Franus and Daniel Bailey
The event was held in Calistoga Restaurant in Edinburgh, an excellent Californian restaurant in the centre of Edinburgh.
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