posted 11-07-2011 02:39 PM            

Hope you feel better soon. Thanks for the review. I'm anxiously awaiting the rest of your reviews, to see if you have any suggestions to add to our trip this weekend!

posted 11-07-2011 10:29 AM            

Hawkeye, I'm a wee bit concerned about you! Cancelled the March trip already? This cold has got you down - but March is still a ways off, so we will keep fingers crossed that you can go. I'm hoping that we can go in late March or early April. And a friend of ours may go with us.

Had dinner with Carjeff here in Houston last night and he is looking forward to his trip beginning this Friday (I think it's Friday). Ours would have started this Friday with the conference in San Francisco... Oh well, I'm just hanging onto my cancelled itinerary and will revise it a bit for March - depending on the Hawkeye Report!

posted 11-06-2011 01:56 PM            

Where is everyone? Can't think of any big holiday this weekend.

This trip was especially hard on me physically. Have already cancelled my March trip and will have to wait a few months to see about next October. It didn't help on the trip out that a man sitting across the aisle from me for 5 hours sneezed, coughed and snorted all the way out without covering his mouth. I caught his cold toward the end of the trip.

Wine began arriving on Friday and tomorrow (Monday) will be the biggest shipment from Buffalo Shipping.

- Hawkeye

[This message has been edited by Hawkeye (edited 11-06-2011).]

posted 11-06-2011 12:34 PM            

The day began a little on the crisp side, but the sun was out and we knew it was going to be a fabulous day. Because we are tasting so many wines, I will only write about the ones we brought home with us.

Our first stop was at Paradigm (pronounced pear-a-dime) winery in Oakville. This is another of those smaller family wineries. First up was the 08 Oakville Merlot. Normally, I am not a Merlot drinker, but this one stood out. The nose was incredible and the wine had a very nice body for a Merlot with a nice smooth finish. I would say more of a Cab drinkers Merlot. Then we tasted the 07 Oakville Cab which was made up of 90% Cab, 7% Merlot, and 2% Cab Franc. A great fruit forward body full of flavor, power and elegance. Heidy Peterson Barrett is the winemaker here. We had a nice tour and we were able to watch some of the crush. The tour and tasting were hosted by Jennifer Harris-Jakoby, daughter of the owner.

Our next stop was at Keever Winery near Yountville. Another small family owned winery, so small that we had a hard time finding it. Guess we should have had Shirley, our GPS with us. She would have gone crazy at the number of times we went past the street to turn on. Those of you who have been in this area will recognize the California Soldiers Home (may not be the correct name). Well, you go up the road toward it, come to a privacy gate, go through it, and go clear up on the hill overlooking the valley below around Yountville. By the way, when we were back down in the valley, we could look up and see the house. We purchased the 2008 Cab which had intense aromas and 100% Cab. Full bodied with a nice smooth finish. Olga Keever gave us the tour and led the tasting. Their tasting and tour fee was $35.00 . . . a little steep and with the price of the bottle of wine, I wouldn’t pay it again

After our lunch at Pacific Blues, we traveled up Deer Park Road to Howell Mountain to about 1100’ to taste at Bremer Family Winery. Our first purchase was the 05 Howell Mountain Merlot . . . yes, another merlot of powerful body with lots of fruit and great finish. I am beginning to enjoy Merlot that has a good body, a “Cab Drinkers Merlot”. The second purchase was their 06 Napa Cab which we preferred over their Howell Mountain Cab which seemed to have too many tannins for us. The NV Cab was really smooth with a great finish. The tasting was led by Kathy Wood who I would highly recommend. On another day this trip we will taste four more Howell Mountain wineries, which I believe if you put Bremmer at the end of that day, you would have a great five winery tour.

The last stop of the day was at B Cellars on the Silverado Trail up near Calistoga. I believe a couple years ago this was the Silver Rose winery. Although the venue was outstanding, the wines had not improved from when it was the Silver Rose. I could only recommend this as a pretty place to see. By the way, we walked in and were shown where to sit and the hostess came poured our wine and left . . . each variety with very little comment. Most of their wines were blends (maybe that is what the “B” stands for).
The last couple trips I have been wanting to stop at Dutch Henry and wished we had instead of B Cellars. Another time.